Ads We Love: "Bad Dog, Good Volkswagen"

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Client: Volkwagen | Ad Firm: Deutsch LA

WHY IT'S COOL?

It's a very clever twist on the 'dog ate the keys' trope. The dog is perfectly cast-and yes, that's important. The actor does a marvelous job of conveying 'not again'. There's not a wasted shot. But...

WHY WE LOVE IT?

The music. The song choice MAKES this spot. Although sadly, Johnny Cash has ironically become one of the best artists to sell your product with his music. 

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM IT?

Don't forget the music! Yes, commercials are a visual medium, but sound & music should always, ALWAYS, get equal attention. We can't repeat that enough! Music and score is what we use to set the mood for our visual storytelling in commercials, TV, and film. In this case, the song choice sets the mood brilliantly: waxing nostalgia and tongue-in-cheek humor in one blow. We all know a dog or had a dog that was a lovable nuisance. 

You might not have the budget for a Johnny Cash song, but there is an amazing amount of music available via sites like Premium Beat andThe Music Bed. And don't forget your local artists who may be willing to grant the rights to their work if you're going to get it on TV or use promoted ads on the web. The point is, don't skip over the music. Take the time to find the song that sets your ad's mood.

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Patrick Kirk

No one knows the exact day Patrick Kirk was born, because he was carried into town by a pack of wild coyotes, but the end of March seems to have some consensus built around it. The townsfolk hadn’t much need for a coyote-raised wild boy seein’ as they already had a town idiot. So, they set Patrick off with the next traveling circus that rolled through town. It was there that the young boy learned of books and math and writing and other cultural offerings from Martha, the kindly old bearded lady, and her husband, Harold, the world’s tallest midget. In between shows, he would explore each new town, never having the chance to make friends with children his age, mostly because they didn’t speak coyote… However, it was on one such trek in his later teen years that Patrick happened upon a small cinema playing an engagement of Major League II. From then on, he knew that he must dedicate his life to motion pictures. The members of the circus were sad to see him go, some angry calling cinema ‘beneath them’, but Patrick took his leave and headed off to university to study the filmic arts. Over nearly half a decade of study, Patrick learned from notables such as Fritz Kiersch, director of Children of the Corn, and Gray Fredrickson, producer of the Godfather Trilogy. Patrick has worked locally in the Oklahoma City market as a grip, camera operator, and editor. He has directed a number of short films and commercial projects and aspires to do more. When not in the editing suite or on set, Patrick can be found relaxing at local sporting events or playing a round of golf. He is particularly fond of poker and has been known to frequent the local casinos. Patrick also experiments with cooking and can make a mean batch of tacos. Among things he still would like to accomplish, Patrick hopes to fly to the moon one day and get into an old fashioned pistols at dawn duel; preferably both at the same time.