Nathan McGuinness of Kommitted Films directed two innovative :30 spots for Microsoft's Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V server with lead vfx by Asylum's Tim Davies. The spots demonstrate how Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V provides the most robust platform for server consolidation, enabling IT professionals to handle the most demanding and resource-intensive workloads.
The Windows Server 2008 Robot, IT 24-7, is back as the icon in this second phase of the "Server Unleashed" campaign, developed by McCann Worldgroup San Francisco. Fitted with a Hyper-V energy drink that gives him the energy to rope, wrangle, and consolidate servers, the robot continues to embody innovation, strength, and unstoppable reliability, with a fresh chrome look that makes him sleeker than ever.
The campaign, first introduced in February, includes a website, www.serverunleashed.com, which has been updated to feature Hyper-V; along with :30 and :15 second streaming spots that will run online; print; and flash banners.
Descriptions of both spots follow:
RODEO dips into the energy drink craze. As the spot opens, a robot -- the Windows Server 2008, emblazoned with IT 24-7, performs a forward handspring as if to impress his expecting owner. After being told his past efforts were not sufficient, he is ordered to "consolidate, virtualize, and simplify" several servers. The robot downs a can of his Hyper-V Pure Consolidated Energy, then proceeds to lasso every server into one virtual machine.
IMITATOR opens on a disheveled IT man carrying a mess of papers and a laptop. He approaches the relaxed IT Professional, owner of the Windows Server 2008 robot. Manic-eyed and wildly jittery, the man drinks a Hyper-V before collapsing from a burst of overwhelming energy. The voiceover reminds us that Hyper-V is only for servers and to "virtualize responsibly" by letting the servers do the dirty work.
"It was a welcome challenge to work on this dialogue intensive spot," McGuiness said. "Working with the green screen was a small hurdle as we had to incorporate the robot's active presence, but I think we were able to up the level of previous year's campaigns by integrating the robot using a live actor with mocap techniques. I opted for two cameras in order to pick up all of the action and still follow the dialogue within the short amount of time. Everything in these spots was mapped out carefully in our pre-vis and pre-pro process and the agency and client was great every step of the way."
The spots and the polished robot IT 24-7 can be viewed at www.serverunleashed.com, and look out for the print in IT publications, and the streaming and flash banners online.
Credits:
Client: MicrosoftSpot Title: RODEO :30 and IMITATOR :30Air Date: October 6, 2008GM, Advertising and Customer Engagement Team: Gayle TrobermanBusiness Group Director: Bob VisseAdvertising Director: Alicia AndersonAdvertising Manager: Barbara Williams
Prod Company: Kommitted FilmsDirector: Nathan McGuinnessEP: Marc SiegelProducer: Jodi Fisher
Post/Effects: AsylumExecutive Producer: Michael PardeeProducer: Cassandra KhavariCompositing Supervisor: Tim DaviesBidding Producer: Michael HanleyProduction Coordinator: Emily HoovlerCG Supervisor: Piotr KarwasOn-Set Supervisor: Sean DeaverauxInferno: Tim DaviesModelers: Chad Fehmie, Greg StuhlAnimators: Craig Van Dyke, Mike Warner and Steward Burris
Editorial: Cosmo StreetEditor: KatzAssistant Editor: Sean LagrangeExecutive Producer: Jerry Sukys
Telecine: Company 3Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld
Agency: McCann Worldgroup San FranciscoExecutive Creative Directors: Rob Bagot, John McNeilAssociate Creative Directors: John Reid, Doug Green, Michael FurlongCopywriter: Doug GreenArt Directors: John Reid, Michael FurlongDigital Creative Director: John ReidBroadcast Producer: Ben LatimerInteractive Producers: Jose Rivera, Monica VelasquezDirector of Print Production: Jeffrey LeachPrint Producers: Kathie Rantz, Scott PeytonArt Producer: Evelyn ChanVP, Technology: Matthew FleishmanInteractive Developers: Todd Spatafore, Jonathan Rose, Dan MagsinoGroup Account Director: Rob GarnettManagement Supervisor: Melissa OrrAccount Supervisor: Clifford Stevens
