Exploiting Hollywood 1980

BBDO's creative director, Miss Darcy Maguire, walked into the agency early in the morning to wait with Ronald's for sales test results in Cincinnati and Cleveland.

After the one-month delivery period, the Hershey Company got the sales results as quickly as possible, and the statistics were collected and sent to BBDO advertisements. Today is the day to announce the results.

Ronald and Darcy sat outside the partner's office, waiting for the two partners to be summoned and announced who would be the winner of this internal competition.

"Miss Maguire, Mr. Li, this way." The secretary came out of the door and respectfully invited both of them into the highest-level office in BBDO's New York headquarters.

"Looking at the secretary's attitude, did we win?" Ronald asked.

"Not necessarily, the secretary may have seen the final result, but they will pretend not to know."

"With my directing experience, it's not like acting. Otherwise, she could go to Hollywood."

The two sat side by side at the conference table, across from their rival Dan, whose director Hugh Hudson was not present.

Dan looked at Darcy and Ronald triumphantly, and touched the red handkerchief in the left breast pocket of his suit. He was wearing a formal dress today and seemed full of confidence.

"You won't be able to laugh right away," Ronald chuckled.

After saying hello to the two groups of competitors, the two partners humbly gave in, and finally opened the envelope containing the results by relying on the principle of who's subordinates who announced the results.

"It looks like the Oscars." Ronald chuckled.

"Dan's group's advertising sales data in Cleveland is 69.7%" Dan's patron, one of the partners, opened an envelope and announced the results of Dan's advertising sales.

After a month of broadcasting in Cleveland, Dan's ad drives sales equal to about 70% of a single distribution.

Darcy Maguire previously estimated that a 60% chance of winning is a big deal, and now it seems a little too optimistic.

Darcy sat up involuntarily, raised his head, and waited for the Cincinnati data to be released.

Ronald looked at Dan's face, flushed. He was picking up the coffee on the table, hoping to slowly taste the taste of victory.

"Maybe he already knew the answer through insiders?" Ronald thought. "But it's impossible for him to lose to the other side in his advertisement. Did he make a mistake in his judgment?"

"Did they do anything?" Ronald asked in Darcy's ear.

"Definitely did some work, but I have confidence in our creativity, I have confidence in you, Ronald. We are not without a chance of winning, and the new Hershey products before have a higher than 70% pull effect." Darcy Maguire feels that their creativity may also exceed 70%. Even if they are behind the other party, if the gap is within 3%, they may still be able to compete for Dan's extra-discount.

While thinking about it, Darcy's protector, another partner, tore open the envelope, glanced at the result, and read it out slowly.

"Sales figures for the Darcy group. Sales figures in Cincinnati are 163%"

"what?"

Dan, who was terrified, shook his hand holding the coffee, burning his mouth, and then spilled half of the cup of coffee on his formal shirt, and the scarlet suit towel on his left chest turned brown.

"Looks like the dry cleaners can't clean it." Ronald thought gloatingly.

163% means that all the Chewels from the first distribution are sold, and most of the second replenishment is also sold. With their version of the ad, Ronald won without a doubt.

Biased to Darcy's partner, began to announce the official results of the competition:

"So Darcy Maguire won the sales test, Chewels sales in Cincinnati, and Hershey was very excited. It broke their monthly sales record for chewing gum products.

Their marketing director called me and asked you to continue to submit 10 advertising ideas, and then a series of advertisements for this new product will be vigorously promoted on the national TV network. The partners announced the follow-up to Darcy Maguire.

"Finally, I have to say: Well done! The Hershey client you won for the company, I will also win it for you at next year's junior partner promotion meeting." The partner who favored Darcy finally gave a separate order. a sentence.

"Congratulations, Darcy," Ronald congratulated after she and her partner had finished talking.

"Congratulations, Ronald." Darcy came up and hugged Ronald.

"If you agree, I want to shoot the idea of ​​Gerard Slater's daughter's version of the jazz divas as soon as possible, and he supported us a lot in the early stage," Ronald demanded of Darcy Maguire.

"We have to take advantage of this opportunity. You plan the storyboard and the shooting location, and then I'll go to see Gerald with you." Darcy also knew that such a high-level relationship with a national television network was rare.

"Of course, when we go together, Gerrard attaches great importance to his daughter's debut work." Ronald doesn't mind sharing this relationship with Darcy Maguire. They are partners and there is no direct competition.

...

The next day, at an appointment with Gerrard's secretary, Ronald arrived at PBS New York headquarters with Darcy Maguire with a new storyboard.

Gerald Slater, wearing a light-colored suit, smiled when he saw Ronald walking in, "I heard you won, Ronald?"

"Big win. We sold twice as much gum as each other," Ronald said, pulling up his chair and sitting down. "This is my partner, BBDO's creative director of advertising, Darcy Marquey. Miss Er."

"Hello, Mr. Slater. Just call me Darcy." Darcy opened the folder and took out the advertising idea for Helen Slater, as well as a few real photos of the shooting location.

This time we won beautifully, BBDO up and down, no one dared to restrict, the shooting venue, the creative plan are all green lights. The Hershey Company was also satisfied with several advertising campaigns submitted by Darcy, and immediately covered a larger-than-expected budget.

The sales results this time may have broken some of the new product listing records within the Hershey Company, which made several managers in the chewing gum business unit very excited. Give the highest possible shooting budget.

"Drink?" Gerald Slater lowered his body and took out a bottle of wine from the wine cabinet below. There was half a bottle left in it. The bottle has a blue strip that runs from the front of the bottle to the cap, and the word "Martell" is written on the bottle's label.

Opened the cork, poured some into three glasses, handed it to Ronald and Darcy, and took one for themselves, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Gerald's brandy tasted good, and Ronald wanted to continue reporting on the shooting of the ad.

Gerald raised his hand, indicating that the two of them didn't need to go on, "The market is a much harsher judge than me. Since you have already been recognized by the market, I can rest assured that Helen will shoot her first commercial."

Ronald and Darcy looked at each other and felt the convenience brought by beating their opponents again, so they raised the brandy: "I wish Helen a successful shooting!"

...

"Helen, have you finished your makeup?" Ronald said to Helen Slater as he walked out of the dressing room on the set of the second commercial for Chewels chewing gum.

"Yes, the makeup artist said that I'm suitable for painting more mature, not exactly a high school student. Does my performance need to be adjusted accordingly?" Helen came over excitedly, looking at Ronald with a pair of big blue eyes.

Ronald almost lost his mind when she saw him, as if everything around him was far away from him, and the whole universe was only left with the beautiful big eyes of himself and Helen. The beauty of this girl was irresistible.

"Ronald? Ronald? Is there something wrong with my thinking?" Helen wondered why the director didn't speak.

"Oh, I'm thinking of other things." Ronald came back to his senses and hurriedly answered Helen's question.

"No, we can trust your acting skills, but the character of this ad is close to you, as long as you play the piano and sing jazz like you usually do." Ronald hoped that Helen would perform in her own way, just like the gymnastic girl Elizabeth Shue. Just do it.

"Okay, director." Helen made an OK gesture at him and sat in front of the piano. A melody sounded, and Helen began to sing a jazz piece that Ronald hadn't heard before.

Helen's voice is very clear, more "fairy" than the church choir.

"It's really great, Helen, you sing really well." Ronald clapped his hands twice, indicating that the photographer could take this photo.

"Recording? Camera?!"

...

"Cut, let's take a break, 10 minutes." Ronald called off the sixth shot.

"Director, is there a problem with my acting?" Helen is a very smart girl, she can see some signs on the faces of the cameraman and assistant director keenly.

For this shoot, Ronald again brought in Spike Lee, and his black photographer partner Dixon.

Hershey's had a good budget, Ronald was paid enough, and the two black buddies worked hard. Cooperate with shooting over and over again, without complaint.

The environment is also good. I found Lincoln Center, the best music performance venue in New York, and a small hall where the New York Jazz Orchestra often rehearses. Everything is authentic.

It's just that the filming is always wrong, Ronald has done it six times and still can't find the right feeling.

Even Darcy, who came to stand in the line, also found the problem, "Ronald, is there any problem? Why did you shoot six times in a row? Last time, Elizabeth Sue, you stopped work after three shots."

Ronald looked at Helen who came over and said loudly, "No problem, I just raised the standard a little bit because of the bigger budget. Shooting like last time, we're done now."

Helen heard the words, smiled again, and ran into the dressing room to rest and touch up her makeup.

"What's wrong?" Darcy asked Ronald softly, watching Helen run away.

"The problem with the performance, Helen's singing always feels wrong, and I can't find the problem." Ronald was a little anxious, they only applied for two days at Lincoln Center, 3 hours a day for filming time. If you don't find the right performance feeling today, you can only pray to God tomorrow that Helen can find the state.

Thinking of this, Ronald turned to look at assistant director Spike Lee, "What do you think the problem is, Spike?"