Lego Holiday Commercial - ID# 304
Maine West
Commercial
Entry Description
This is a commercial for Legos which is sure to spread holiday cheer!
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/26 11:01 am - You truly created a heartfelt and touching story with your ad, and this is tough to do in a short amount of time. So many ads I have seen run about 60 seconds (like yours) but could be much shorter. You piece is the perfect length at 60 seconds. You need all of it to tell this story. Some of the night shots are a bit dark, and when we are in the office with Dad you fall back on the same shot again and again, so fixing these issues would make this already great piece even stronger. Nice work overall!
- 3/4 9:47 pm - t's truly inspiring to hear about your approach to advertising Lego with a heartfelt message that resonates with adults. This unique perspective not only broadens the appeal of Lego but also taps into the nostalgia and emotional connection many adults have with the brand. By focusing on this demographic, you've identified a powerful way to differentiate your commercial in a market that traditionally targets children. Your insight into the potential for a variety of different shots to enhance the visual aesthetic is astute. A diverse range of shots can add depth to the narrative, showcase the product in different contexts, and maintain viewer engagement throughout the commercial. Here are some suggestions to expand the visual diversity in future projects: Incorporate a Mix of Shot Types: Utilize a combination of wide, medium, and close-up shots to vary the visual experience. Wide shots can establish context or setting, medium shots can convey action or interaction, and close-ups can capture detail and emotion. This variety can make the commercial more visually engaging and dynamic. Experiment with Camera Angles and Movements: Different camera angles and movements can evoke various emotions and highlight aspects of the Lego sets in unique ways. Low-angle shots can make the Lego creations appear grand or imposing, while high-angle shots can offer an overview or convey vulnerability. Incorporating movements like pans, tilts, or dolly shots can add energy and fluidity to the narrative.
Judge 1
Positives: Thank's for making me tear up!! No but forreal - really nice, emotionally driven story that resonates with me as an uncle, who loves playing legos with his nephew, and doesn't do it enough. I think the closing line "build closer together" is concise and holds a really nice sentiment, and is a good way to wrap up the spot.
Improvements: I think this could be cut wayyyyy down, maybe even in half, while still getting the story across. What can be really tough when editing is having to leave a bunch of your hard work "on the cutting room floor", but a good north star is to ask yourself "if I trimmed or cut this shot out, would the story still be clear?" I challenge the creator to try to get this down to a :30. This is a directing note - which again, can be hard!!! I want to see more emotion from the dad - the story is built for his change of thinking as if to say "wait, where are my priorities?" So whether pushing the camera in on the dad to see expressions, or doing a few more takes to get a better performance can feel awkward, but it's worth it when you get into the edit.
Judge 2
Positives: Story: The story is crystal clear to me. A man has to work late, but then he calls Santa for a favor. Then Santa gives Legos to his son. This commercial works on a very deep level, from a marketing perspective. The commercial is saying: "Hey Dads... if you buy Legos for your kids, your kids will love you." I know that sounds a little blunt and cynical, but that is EXACTLY how to sell products. You need to show a need and fulfill it (via purchasing the product). Furthermore, the product is also "sold" with the end words "Build Closer Together." That could imply that if you buy the product, not only will you BUILD Legos, but you can become BUILD a better relationship with your kids, you can be CLOSER with your kids, and you can be TOGETHER with your kids. The story and the end text is A+ story with A+ marketing perspective. I really liked the music choice. It paired well with your story. I had an interesting thought: Your commercial was directed to the DAD's that would buy Legos, not the kids themselves that would play with the Legos. A kid might watch this commercial and not get excited about Legos, but any Dad (parent) watching might actually cry tears of joy and love from your commercial and then buy some Legos for Jr. next time they are at Target.
Improvements: 1. I took a point off of editing. I think it needs to be a little faster paced editing. Commercials tell complete stories in 60, 30, and 15 seconds. I think this commercial might have been more effective with quicker shots and slightly shorter runtime. 2. I took a few points of from camera, specifically the camera shots. I think you did a good job with the shots you used, but I think this commercial needs more close ups. Commercials always zoom in on faces to capture emotion. The emotion is what truly sells a moment (or sells a product). If a lady eats yogurt in a commercial, we HAVE to see a close up of her smiling so that we can think "Woah! She is really happy after eating that yogurt... I should buy that yogurt." So in this train of thought, your commercial was about 10% close ups of faces (the kid on the couch) and 80% wide shots of the actors. Let's flip that. 10% wides (establish where the character is) but then zoom in on their face so we can see how the FEEL. Once the Dad is in the office, our commercial-watching-brain is actually really smart. You can show a guy on a basketball court for 1-2 seconds, then just stay on his face for the whole rest of the commercial so we can intimately see him enjoy the sports drink. Our brain has already locked-in that he is a cool pro-athlete at a basketball court. SUMMARY: I wanted more close ups to match your story. But the story that you crafted was pro-level. I'm almost scared of how good of a marketing/sales person you could become. I'm thinking... Oh wow, this student already knows perfectly well how to manipulate people to buy things by using their love of their kids to influence consumer decisions... you are crafty! You can have a long career in any field that you are interested in, trust me!
Judge 3
Positives: The story is fun and well suited to the product. From the moment Dad comes home to the end it really shines. Great job!
Improvements: I think seen involving dialogue always benefit from 2 or three camera angles, but you are off to a great start!
Judge 4
Positives:
Improvements:
Judge 5
Positives:
Improvements: