Sprite - Unleashed / Drake - (2010) :60

Sprite is giving teens a platform to express their creativity through musicand film in the brand‘s first-ever global integrated marketing campaign, TheSpark. Innovative TV commercials, an online interactive music mixerfeaturing content from GRAMMY® nominee Drake and a digital film mixer willinspire and enable teens to spark fresh thinking and display their originality.
Worldwide, additional artists will be showcasedthrough The Spark campaign, including film, commercial and music videodirector Rik Cordero and four-time World Music Award winner, Jay Chou, inChina.

“Our research shows that fresh ideas andexperiences are important social currency for teens,” said Joe Tripodi,Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, The Coca-Cola Company. “Whether its music, film or sport, through TheSpark campaign Sprite is providing an original, interactive way for teensaround the world to showcase and share their creativity with others.”

The Spark takes its name fromSprite‘s newly updated Spark logo, which captures the lemon-limesparkling beverage‘s unique ability to refresh and invigorate. Thecampaign will launch in markets around the world in 2010 and across 4continents including Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. North America willlead the global launch with a campaign that embodies the essence of

“In the U.S. we‘re combining the globaldebut of the new Drake ad ‘Unleashed,’ the action of the SpriteSlam Dunk during NBA All Star 2010 and the originality of Sprite Step-Off tooffer people multiple ways to experience The Spark of creativity thatonly Sprite can provide,” said Katie Bayne, Chief Marketing Officer,Coca-Cola North America.

TheSpark campaign is a fully integrated marketing effort that includes TV, out-of-home, digitaland mobile applications.
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The first TV commercial for The Spark, titled “Unleashed,” features celebrated hiphop artist Drake struggling to find inspiration in the studio while recordinghis hit song “Forever.” Drake drinks a Sprite, helping unleash hislyrical prowess. The commercial – produced in 30- and 60-seconds versions– is airing in cinema and made its TV debut during the pregame telecastof Super Bowl XLIV. A behind-the-scenes video, available online, will givemusic fans a peek into the making of the commercial and showcase the innovativetechnology used to create the Drake look-a-like animatronics model for thead‘s unusual special effects.

“The animatronics model is cool becauseit‘s an exploded version of me that shows all the components of who I amand the things that inspire my music. After I drink a Sprite, the modelreassembles, leaving me completely focused to deliver the perfect take,”said Drake. “The Sprite ad ‘Unleashed’ gives abehind-the-scenes view of my process of recording a song in-studio.”

TheSpark will reachpeople through two stages – one focused on music and a second on film.

The Sprite Spark MusicProject, due to launch in the US in March, is an online mixing tool that willenable people to make their own tunes using stems from Drake‘s music andremixing them with music from emerging artists around the world. Fans can sharetheir creations with friends, rate other fan remixes, and even save theirfavorites as mobile ring tones.

The second stage of thecampaign, the Sprite Spark Film Project is due to launch in April and providespeople with the tools and content to edit their own 45-second animated films.The user calls the shots, deciding on the setting, the characters, the plot,and the ending. The result is a mini-movie in an animation style that‘sengaging, modern and cinematic.

North America
The Spark has already gained momentum in the U.S. through the brand‘s marketingpartnership with the NBA and programs such as the Sprite Step Off. Since1994, Sprite has been connecting with youth through its relationship with theNBA and its presence at NBA All-Star, which is being held this year in Dallas,February 11-14. The Sprite Slam Dunk, part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night,features the league‘s top players competing in an exhibition ofincredible dunks. This year‘s competition is being promoted through aseries of new Sprite The Spark ads called “Spoken Word,”which use rhymes by lyrical poets to highlight the players’ creativityand authenticity on the court.
In addition, NBA All-Star will showcase the finaleto the first-ever Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown, an amateur dunk contest held onFebruary 12 in Dallas. An All-Star panel of judges will help determine thefinalists in the event, including NBA All-Star and 2009 NBA Most ValuablePlayer presented by Kia Motors, LeBron James, NBA Legend player Darryl Dawkinsand Drake— who will perform live during the Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown.Sprite Spark
The Sprite Step Off isthe largest college fraternity and sorority stepping competition in history,with a total prize pool of $1.5 million in college scholarships and a new MTV2docu-series that follows the six step teams as they compete in the nationalstep competition. New out-of-home featuring LeBron James debuted earlier thismonth, and later this year the Sprite Film Mixer, with Rik Cordero, and MusicMixer will be launched to further support The Spark campaign.
“Themany elements of the new Sprite The Spark campaign are designed toempower teens to play, experience and interact with our brand and feel theircreativity come to life,” said Bayne.

Agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York
Chief Creative Officer: Kevin Roddy
Creative Director: Amee Shah & Matt Ian
Art Director: Erik Holmdahl
Copywriter: Beth Ryan
Head Of Broadcast: Lisa Setten
Producer: Jennifer Moore

Production Company: aWHITELABELproduct, Los Angeles
Director: Benjamin Steiger Levine
Executive Producer: Ellen Jacobson-Clarke, Annique DeCaestecker
Line Producer: Lynn Zekanis
Director of Photography: Chris Soos

Editorial Company: Cut + Run, New York
Executive Producer: Angie Aguilera
Producer: Beth Fitzpatrick
Editor: Steve Gandolfi

Visual Effects: MassMarket, New York
Executive Producer: Rich Rama
Producer: Aleen Kim
Lead Flame Artist: Nick Tanner
Flame Artists: Julian Ford, Mark French, Sarah Eim, David Parker, Joanne Ungar, John Ciampa, Anu Nagaraj
Jr Flame Artists: Jeen Lee, Dan Boujoulian
Designers: Greg Herman, Derek Stratton
CG Supervisor: Pakorn Bupphavesa
CG Lead Artist: Ed Manning
CG Artists: David Barosin, Jimmy Gass, Keith Kim, Eban Byrne, Ciaran Maloney
CG Modeler: Tom Cushwa
CG Trackers: Joerg Liebold, Denis Trutanic
CG/Nuke Artist: Adam Flynn
Pre-Viz Artist: Joshua Sherrett

Telecine Facility: Company 3, New York
Telecine Artist: Tom Poole

Audio Facility: Sound Lounge, Nyc
Audio Engineer: Tom Jucarone

Music Company: Squeak E Clean Productions
Executive Producer: Zach Sinick
Track Arranged By: Brent Nichols & Rusty Logsdon
Sound Designer: Steve Mccarty
Music: Title: "Forever", Drake

Endtag Animation Company: Brand New School, Los Angeles
Executive Producer: Ned Brown
Producer: Garrett Braren
Art Director: Ludovic Shorno
Animatronics: Spectral Motion
Effects Supervisor: Mike Elizalde
Creative Consultant: Mary Elizalde
Production Coordinator: Brian Walsh
Puppeteer/Lead Animatronic Technician: Mark Setrakian