What happens when you mix mean tweets, improv comedy, political satire and user-generated content? This new ultra-long-form ad from scotch brand Laphroaig that's so entertaining, you might actually find yourself watching the whole thing. (Well, maybe.)
That would be three and a half hours of comedian Andy Daly, of Comedy Central's much-loved and now-defunct Review, doing what the brand is calling a "filibuster," so he can read three years' worth of consumer comments. Some of them are fawning, but most are negative, even downright blistering. There are even some twisted haikus.
Pegging the video to the current presidential race, Laphroaig wanted to highlight "another passionate debate that has been gripping the country for years: Is our scotch a peaty, smoky delight, or does it smell like a burning hospital?"
First, props for the self-deprecating tone and fearlessness of using feedback gathered from the long-running #OpinionsWelcome campaign. Recurring descriptions of the product from drinkers include: seaweed, dirt, ashtrays, lighter fluid and iodine. And second, thanks for giving Daly an uninterrupted forum to riff on those sentiments. Like some politicos IRL, he takes his work seriously—in the best cheeky way—and can't be distracted, even by a buzzing fly, a screaming car alarm or the call of nature.
"When Laphroaig first approached me about the concept, I thought, 'They want me to do what for how many hours?!' " Daly, who's also been a CarMax pitchman, tells Adweek in a statement. "But as soon as I became more familiar with the #OpinionsWelcome campaign and the wonderfully descriptive opinions submitted by people from around the country, I was sold. It was a unique and challenging undertaking, but so much fun to be a part of."
Here's one of the weirdest things I've ever done. Will any living person watch it all? I recommend small sips. https://t.co/gOQdnwmfYX
— Andy Daly (@TVsAndyDaly) October 27, 2016
On the positive side, there are comments like "Sweet Molly smoldering in her liquid ember" and "The most divine chimney fire you've ever tasted."
But there are also plenty of parallels drawn between the beverage and primordial ooze, dirty sweat socks, dumpster fires and fish eggs. "It's not for everyone," a commenter says understatedly, while another likened it to "a brine-soaked Band-Aid"—to which Daly replies, "Drink up!"
The video, created by agency Multiply and Highline Studios director Damon Hoydysh, happened in a single take, according to the marketer—which is clear from Daly's performance, which charmingly includes flubs and all. It joins the extreme-long-form trend that includes Laphroaig competitor Lagavulin single malt scotch (Nick Offerman's 45-minute Yule Log) and brands like Arby's (with its 13-hour brisket commercial).
CREDITS
Client: Laphroaig
Agency: Multiply
Creative Director: Jon Cunningham
Account Director: Victoria Zabel-Wirdak
Production: Highline Studios
Director: Damon Hoydysh
