American angeles cancer los society

Brought To You By Brown Mountain Cigarettes.

The Los Angeles chapter of the American Cancer Society (ACS/L.A.) has come up with its answer to the merchandising ploys of tobacco companies, most notably "points-based reward" coupons that can be cashed in for anything from "Joe Camel" paraphernalia to Winston gear spanning clothing, tote bags and other accessories. In "Cancer Cash," an ACS/L.A. :30, the fictitious Brown Mountain Cigarettes unveils a practical exchange promotion whereby cigarette purchases yield coupons that can be put toward the acquisition of some much needed items for the serious smoker.

The pro bono PSA opens on three young, beautiful people who, upon closer examination, aren't so beautiful as they drag on Brown Mountain Cigarettes, aptly named because the smokers' teeth are rotted and brown-stained. Fitting in with their active lifestyle, an enthused voiceover touts the many benefits Brown Mountain smokers can derive from a new gift program. We first get a glimpse of a selection of caskets. The next scene shows a young man playing football; he's wearing "a sporty oxygen mask" which he got for 500 Brown Mountain coupons.

The voiceover then reveals that for only 4,000 coupons, smokers can obtain a ventilator with matching trachial tube. A young woman is seen outfitted with the ventilator. She displays the medical ware fashion model-style, lending a TV game show feel to the spot.

And finally, continues the voiceover, coupons can, for a limited time, be put towards chemotherapy. A weakened patient is seen receiving his bonus chemo treatment; he then suddenly disappears in a puff of smoke, underscoring the message that when it comes to tobacco, "Nobody's a winner."

"Cancer Cash" was conceived and directed by Jeff Goldsmith of Unlikely Films, Los Angeles. He also served as the PSA's exec. producer and editor, backed by a production support team that included associate producers Dan Bates, Ron Singer, Mark A. Altman and Robert Meyer Burnett. Steve Adcock was the DP.

Assorted companies and artisans contributed services and/or donated resources. Visual effects were done at Digital Domain, Venice, Calif., with Mark Larranaga serving as visual effects supervisor and digital compositor. Digital Magic Company, Santa Monica, provided telecine and online services via colorist Paul Lear and online editor Paul Hill, respectively. Todd AO Studios, Studio City, Calif., handled sound effects and audio post with an ensemble consisting of studio manager Roy Gilbert, re-recording mixer John Cook, recordist Mark Guilbeault, transfers supervisor Larry Ellena and supervising sound editor Mitchell Gettleman.

Composer was Sebastian Goldman of Admusic, Santa Monica, with Pat Weaver producing. Associated Music Productions, Hollywood, provided some additional licensed music at a reduced rate.

Universal Studios, Universal City, Calif., donated a stage facility, lights, props, costumes, trucks and scenic elements. Otto Nemenz Camera, Hollywood, contributed a 35mm camera package, with Kodak, Hollywood, chipping in film, Foto-Kem, Burbank, handling film processing, Diva Post, Hollywood, providing an Avid for editing, and KinoFlo and Xenon Lights, both in Sun Valley, donating lights. J.L. Fisher, Sun Valley, provided a dolly. Special props were constructed by Nathan Amondson and Conor McCullough.

The PSA began airing last month. Goldsmith noted that many of the contributing artisans had a personal interest in the project since they are in the process of trying to quit smoking.

RELATED ARTICLE: "Marathon"

Would-be marathon runners are dropping like flies in an animation spot promoting World ADDS Day and sponsored by Levi Strauss & Co. Seemingly oblivious to those toppling around him, a condom character is seen chugging right along on his 26-mile jaunt. The supered tagline simply reads: "Last longer with a condom. World AIDS Day 1998."

The PSA is one of four: 15's in a World AIDS Day campaign directed by John Hays of San Francisco animation studio Wild Brain; each spot features the condom character. In "Lucky," a condom wearing a parachute jumps out of a plane. Unable to pull the ripcord, the condom free falls to his apparent final resting place only to be saved when he lands on a bale of hay next to a cow. The tagged message: "Get lucky with a condom."

Similarly in "Sensitive," our condom protagonist is seen crying his eyes out in a darkened movie theatre. He's reacting to a romantic tearjerker being shown on the silver screen. The punch-line: "Condoms are sensitive." And in "Trampoline," Mr. Condom is shown bouncing up and down on a bed. The supered conclusion: "Condoms are fun."

The agency on the campaign was TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco, whose team consisted of creative director/copywriter Peter Angelos, creative director/art director Rob Smiley, art director Jennifer Boyd, copywriter Craig Namba and producer Katherine Colbert.

In addition to Hays, other contributing artisans at Wild Brain included animator Ralph Fernan, assistant animators Victor Gascon, Billy Burger and Brian McKensie, exec. producers Jeff Fino and Paul Golden, producer Liz Gazzano, production manager Adrian Card and layout artist Cindy Ng, with ink and paint done by Kuen Hicks and Frank Barnhardt. The illustrator was Graham Falk of Dynomight Cartoons, Toronto.

Offline editor at Wild Brain was Gretchen Hildebran. Greg Gilmore of Western Images, San Francisco, served as online editor. Claude Letessier of Cyberia, Santa Monica, was the sound designer. The four spots - part of a much larger, broader-based campaign - ran primarily overseas. There was a limited domestic run on MTV in late Nov./early Dec.

Millie Takaki