It's the third time around for Extra Gum, and things are suddenly getting real.
The Wrigley's brand and Energy BBDO returned over Valentine's Day weekend with another tearjerker film, "A Second Chance." It tells the tale of Jessica, a young widowed mom, who reunites after many years with single dad Marcus, a friend she's known since kindergarten.
In a change from the client-agency team's previous viral hits—"Origami," which focused on a dad and his young daughter, and "Sarah & Juan," which tracked a romance from high school through young adulthood—this outing features the real-life Jessica and Marcus, starring in their own true story and providing narration.
"We set out to find couples to talk to us about love under the guise of shooting a travel documentary," Andrés Ordóñez, Energy BBDO executive creative director, tells AdFreak. "Once we found couples that felt right for the brand, we approached the guy separately about their relationship trajectory."
And, as in the agency's previous Extra installments, gum wrappers play a key role in how the scenario unfolds.
It's a sweet story, extremely well told by Sanctuary director Natalie Rae Robison. However, despite hitting all the right notes as the soft piano strains of "Can't Help Falling in Love" shimmer in the background, it feels a little familiar.
"Oragami" and "Sarah & Juan" seemed minty fresh ind transcended their inherent emotional manipulation. There were surprising bits of business and heartwarming payoffs at the end. "A Second Chance" repeats that basic formula—but if you've seen the earlier ads, you pretty much know what to expect, so the impact is diminished.
Hey, it's an Extra Gum video … we've sampled this before, haven't we?
There is a certain novelty to casting real people, and Jessica and Marcus are a winning, exceedingly likable pair. "This couple have an incredible story that's inspiring and uplifting, because it is built on many years of small yet meaningful moments of connection," says John Starkey, vice president of U.S. gum and mints at Wrigley's.
True, but their appearance gives the spot a reality-show vibe. They have a transformative tale of love and second chances at life … so, they sold it for 15 minutes of fame in a gum commercial? Doesn't that seem off somehow? (Then again, in our media-driven world, maybe that's living the dream.)
"When you give a little extra of yourself, you get so much more in return," says Starkey. "And those small moments of sharing can lead to something even more meaningful. This is what we mean when we say, Give Extra, get extra.'"
Ultimately, the film communicates that message, but here's a prediction: The engagement numbers won't approach the totals for the earlier videos. The flavor is starting to fade. Perhaps its time for Wrigley's to wrap up the three-hanky approach and move on.
CREDITS
Client: Wrigley Extra Gum
Title: "A Second Chance"
Agency: Energy BBDO
SVP Executive Creative Director: Andrés Ordóñez
VP Creative Director: Pedro Pérez
VP Creative Director: Josh Gross
Illustrator: Mya Pagán
Director of Integrated Production: Rowley Samuel
Executive Producer: John Pratt
Producer: Shobin Mathew
Director of Music: Daniel Kuypers
Managing Director: Jeff Adkins
Client Service Director: Lianne Sinclair
Account Director: Erin Welsh
Senior Account Executive: Brittany Peskind
Account Executive: Katheryn Batista
Group Planning Director: Elke Anderle
Digital Strategy Director: Zach Graham
Production Company: Sanctuary
Director: Natalie Rae Robinson
Line Producer: Dennis Beier
Executive Producer: Preston Lee
Finish: Method Studios
Colorist: Tyler Roth
Music: "Can't Help Falling in Love."
Vocals: Haley Reinhart
Piano: Casey Abrams
Record Label: ole Media Management L.P.
Audio: Whiz Bang
Audio Post: Sarah Krohn
Audio Post Producer: Maria Hinders
Executive Producer: Mitch Monzon
Editorial Company: Beast Editorial
Editor: Angelo Valencia
Assistant Editor: Melissa Weinmann
Senior Producer: Lauren Roth
Executive Producer: Peter Hullinger
Visual Effects: The Mill
Colorist: Luke Morrison
Color Assist: Mikey Pehanich
Design Lead: Matt Darnall
Design Artist: Adrian Navarro
2D Lead: Randy McEntee
2D Artist: Michael Sarabia
Head of Production: Andrew Sommerville
Producer: Adam Battista
Producter: Grace Tober
