Stern Advertising recently tapped The Colonie editor Bob Ackerman to create a memorable Mother’s Day spot for Kay Jewelers. Director Harry Patramanis captured the playfulness and tone of the spot. Ackerman then weaved the footage into an endearing storyline that conveys the emotional connections and family moments that make Mother’s Day special.
The :30 commercial, entitled “Chase,” opens with a 7-year old boy playfully running through a house with his mom in hot pursuit. He races down hallways, hops over a toy and evades her in a hiding spot. He makes his way to the kitchen, where he runs straight into his dad, who scoops him up in his arms.
Mom catches up, smiling at her husband and son as she opens a Kay gift box, revealing a diamond necklace. Thrilled with the present, she shows her gratitude, smothering her son with kisses. The spot ends on a musical note, with retailer’s signature tag line, “Every kiss begins with Kay.”
“In the Kay campaign, when you give a gift, you’re going to get kissed. And little boys go through a stage where they think kissing is icky. We thought it’d be fun to play there,” said Bob Merlotti, creative director at Stern.
“We wanted the opening chase scenes to just be about the boy having fun running through the house as his mother playfully chases him – leaving viewers to wonder why she was wanting to catch him. The chase builds anticipation and draws the audience into the storyline as it unfolds,” said Ackerman. “Keeping all the moments as real as possible helped make the spot fun and avoid clichés.”
“All three actors had a very spontaneous, ‘real’ quality and delivered natural performances,” Ackerman added. “I’ve done a fair amount of acting myself. Bringing that unique perspective to the editorial process helps me find those special moments in a performance.”
Executive producer Mary Caddy guided the project from editorial through delivery.
“Complimenting our in-house services and amenities, we maintain strategic partnerships with top-caliber color grading, audio and music companies that enable us to take the reins of every phase postproduction,” said Caddy. “That seamless pipeline made working on the Kay Jewelers’ spot an efficient and stress-free experience.”
Caddy and her team provided a remote workflow with the Cleveland-based agency. They were also able to keep the director in the loop while he was in Iceland and Greece shooting another project.
“Coordinating international projects while maintaining seamless workflow is nothing new for us,” said Caddy. “Our editors have cut spots throughout the U.S., as well as all over the world – from Europe and South America to the Czech Republic.