The campaign was directed by Linda Mendoza, known for her work on The Chris Rock Show, The Brothers Garcia and Ugly Betty, and features Bob Saget, stand-up comic and former star of the sitcom Full House, known for his biting and frequently off-color humor. In one spot, Saget appears in a therapist’s office and talks with his doctor about the dilemma of being associated both with wholesome family comedies and the raunchiest sort of humor — while speaking in colorful language that has to be frequently censored. JFL XXX celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival held annually in Montreal.
The production was overseen by creative teams from Astral Media, parent of The Movie Network, and from Just For Laughs.
The therapist’s office featured in the spot was a custom-designed virtual set created with Hollywood Center Studios’ virtual set engine. Other spots employed limbo environments generated with the same proprietary virtual set technology. “It was great, because it put everything at our fingertips,” Mendoza said. “We were able to change sets, without moving any furniture. It worked creatively and it also worked for our budget.”
Mendoza added that having green room, hair and make-up facilities adjacent to the virtual stage also made it a convenient place to shoot. “We were in and out in six hours,” she said. “It was a great experience.”
