In this amusing 90-second spot for Rolling Stone, men and women of all sorts dress up like Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs. They don wire-rim specs, black turtlenecks and blue jeans as they question aspects of their lives, large and small, ranging from health regimens and toupees to technology's impact on the future.
The patently absurd sight of a geeky Steve army marching down the street is like an image plucked from Bill Gates' darkest dreams. (Heck, it's enough to give anyone nightmares!)
Produced in English and Spanish by The Community, the ad targets young adults in Argentina, encouraging them to "Question Everything" and find ways of improving their situations. It closes by showing a 2011 Rolling Stone cover: "The Steve Jobs Nobody Knew."
The visuals here are pretty memorable, but the concept feels like a stretch, and doesn't tie back to the magazine as well as it should. (The Community's recent Corona spot, with winter narrating mournful letters to summer, is equally offbeat but more on brand.)
Mostly, "The Steves" reinforces Jobs' standing as an icon of the highest magnitude. Ironically, that's a distinction Rolling Stone itself once enjoyed, and the magazine's effort to piggyback on the tech pioneer's lasting relevance speaks volumes about our changing cultural landscape.
CREDITS
Client: Rolling Stone
Agency: The Community
Chief Creative Officers: Joaquin Molla, Jose Molla
Executive Creative Officers: Ramiro Raposo, Fernando Sosa
Art Director: Fernando Zagales
Copywriter: Juan Mesz
Group Account Director: Sebastian Diaz
Account Executive: Lucas Saez
Audiovisual Producer: Matias Castro
Responsible for the Client: Branowski Bárbara, Paula Rottenbücher
Production Company: Barry Company
Director: Mariana Youssef
Director of Photography: Adolpho Veloso
First Assistant Director: Elton Takii
Art Director: Guilherme Marini
Production Director: Tadeu Piantino
Wardrobe: Heloisa Cobra
Account Manager: Juliana Martellotta
Executive Producer: Krysse Mello
Editors: Alexandre Boechat, Rodolpho Ponzio
Postproduction: Fulano Filmes
Postproduction Coordinator: Karina Vallesi
Postproduction Supervisor: Ale Cois
Assistant Postproduction Supervisor: Sabrina Comar
Sound: Animal
Music Production: André Caccia Bava