Face to Face with... Joe Baratelli

When an anonymous agency unveiled a Ferris Bueller-themed 10-second teaser spot featuring Matthew Broderick last week, the advertising world and fans alike were going crazy with theories about who could be behind the campaign and what client was attached.

From speculation that it was Pepsi (due to the font at the end) to theories that the hotel room set meant it was a travel firm, the conversation was buzzing before the full-length commercial aired. RPA and Honda emerged as the culprits with a fun-filled ‘seize the day’ style message and here EVP/ECD Joe Baratelli tells us about opening the brief up to the whole department, using the rights respectfully and what he’d do on his own ultimate ‘day off’.

How did the Ferris Bueller idea come about?

We knew the new Honda CR-V was going on sale on 1 January and we had the campaign in place. The ‘leap list’ idea is for people to make a list of things they want to do before the things they have to do – before you make a leap into your next stage in life, like getting married or having a baby, the versatile CR-V can help you accomplish whatever adventure.

We knew that the Super Bowl, timing-wise, would fit into the launch, but we wanted to make something special given the stage. Ferris Bueller fits the ultimate idea of going out and doing what you want before it’s too late. He wanted to show his friends a great day before they went off to college. It was a perfect fit.

Is the process for creating a Super Bowl campaign different to a normal spot and do you feel extra pressure?

There is always pressure for a big car launch, but with the Super Bowl, it’s heightened. We opened it to the whole department; gave everyone the original brief, let them know that it needed to tie into the campaign, but told everyone to go for it. There were a lot of ideas that used known talent.

Why do you think there has been a big surge in preview and teaser campaigns this year? Almost like advertising the advertising...

Volkswagen really set the bar last year by leading with the 60-second of little Darth online. It really created buzz and anticipation for the game day spot. It was a discovery for a lot of people to be able to say during the game, “Check this out, I saw it online, it’s great...”. Obviously this has been heightened this year with a whole bunch of commercials or variations being released early.

Did you enjoy all the speculation that the teaser received?

Sure, that was the plan. We wanted it to be a true tease. Who’s it from? What’s it for? Is it a movie? We thought long and hard about how much to give away. Ultimately we made the right move.

Do you think the fact that we’re seeing the work before game day takes away from the ‘big reveal’ during the event?

I don’t think so. Relatively speaking, you're still only reaching a small percentage online compared to Game Day views; 10 million online (which after 4 days is astounding), but the online views are much more powerful. The viewer has chosen to watch your video and in most cases, they have either sought it out or had it shared by a friend who loved it. And it has their complete attention. That's compared to 110 million watching the game. There's definitely more opportunity for word-of-mouth. In the past that conversation was only after the game, and now it's before, during and after.

What did you enjoy most about creating and executing the campaign?

Watching, and helping, a great team pull all the pieces together – quite an achievement. The right board; a great client to recognise the potential; the studio for the rights; the talent; the agents; getting the right director; finessing the script and making sure it was respectful to the original film; the Easter eggs; the editing; and the rollout strategy. Giving support and guidance to all involved along the way, that’s what I enjoy.

Do you think there’s a danger in tainting the original film’s memory/reputation among hardcore fans, not only in this case, but with Star Wars etc?

That was always a concern from the outset with this project because it hadn’t been used before. But we were very respectful of John Hughes and the iconic movie he created. We consider it an homage to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.  It’s Matthew rather than Ferris, LA rather than Chicago. And all the hidden gems or Easter eggs from the original movie. If you are a fan, there is something to find. Of course, as we’ve seen, there are a lot of distractors and they tend to be vocal. But in the end the positive comments have way surpassed the negative. Other properties like Star Wars have been used commercially for so long it isn’t an issue with the diehard fans. Heck, even John Hughes used the Star Wars theme in the original Ferris Bueller movie back in 1986.

If you were Matthew Broderick, bunking off work for the day, tell us some of the things you’d get up to?

The art museum is one for sure. Love sports, so a baseball game or the track would be another. I’m always up for an exotic meal. Bazaar would be fun. The parade not so much, I’m not much of a showman.

And where will you be watching the big game?

A lot of folks from the agency will be at the group creative director’s house – he’s having a big party. Me? I’m staying home; we have a tradition of a half-time game in the street with the neighbourhood kids.