Unilever

...until we got into production, where we thought the whole thing was just going to stink. And we ended up getting into production and being able to work with some directors and people in production here. [1491]
And so, we had to do a lot of research. And we came up with kind of something that we were like, "We don't know? Maybe this will be cool?", whatever. Without really knowing, just what we could find on the web and from the account teams, what Russian and Italian women are like. [1492]
Right, exactly. And so, we had to do a lot of research. And we came up with kind of something that we were like, "We don't know? Maybe this will be cool?", whatever. Without really knowing, just what we could find on the web and from the account teams, what Russian and Italian women are like. [1416]
But we came up with this cute story, but it was up to the point that we sold it, we weren't really that excited about it. We didn't really, didn't care too much. And we had a producer on that, that was really, really difficult. And he got fired. He made things very, much, much, much more difficult than they needed to be. [1418],[1493],[1417],[1494]
Because, again, there weren't that many of us, but in the face of a problem being the main producer, all of us were able to come together. PROJECT ID [1495]
But once we started working with the director, and then the account person who had previously been on it with some other stuff and our in-house producer, it was a really good project. Because, again, there weren't that many of us, but in the face of a problem being the main producer, all of us were able to come together. [1419],[1420],[1421]
And it almost turned out really badly because of the production company was really pissed off at this producer. And they were like, "We're never working with you guys again." And we were able to catch that situation at the last minute- [1423],[1422]
They spoke with him a number of times, but I don't know, you have to know this guy. He doesn't really- [1425],[1424]
And the account person is there to kind of make sure all the stuff from the clients' ends are being met and stuff. It's very, everyone has to be doing their job, because everyone was doing a different job. [1426]
But in that particular case, the producer, who is the one who is supposed to making sure everyone is in on the same thing, was being very, very antagonistic towards this production company. And they felt like they ... We didn't know this, but they felt like they couldn't trust us. They didn't know us very well. They only knew him. They couldn't tell us about any of this stuff. [1428],[1497],[1496],[1427],[1498],[1499]
So, just by chance, we ended up talking to their line producer- [1429]
Because, before then, every time we would try to speak up and we kind of got bulldozed [1500]
We were on set, and they kept going over to our producer for decisions and stuff. He wasn't feeling well. Because, before then, every time we would try to speak up and we kind of got bulldozed. But after he wasn't feeling well, and so we got of a chance to take over. And then, they were like, "Oh, this is the situation." [1430],[1432],[1431]
And we're like, "Yeah, he's always like that. You guys know that, right? Don't take that too seriously. If you guys need something, come to us." After that, it was so smooth. It was an Argentinian production company and they worked their asses off for us. They gave us such good footage. They came by and- [1433],[1436],[1434],[1435]
But it ended up being a good experience, because it, in the face of something going really, potentially, very, very wrong. Even the account person, we were able to go to her and tell her what was going on. And she was able to step in and help us smooth everything over, so that the creative process could keep going. Because it almost completely just stopped the whole train. [1437],[1441],[1438],[1440],[1502],[1439],[1501],[1503]
The production company would have written us off. [1442],[1443]
But they would have written us off. They would have given us the bare minimum which probably wouldn't have been good enough. And we would have had to go to the client with a shitty spot, and had to explain to them why. [1504]
No, they would have done ... because they're under contract, at that point. We're paying them. But they would have written us off. They would have given us the bare minimum which probably wouldn't have been good enough. And we would have had to go to the client with a shitty spot, and had to explain to them why. [1444],[1445]
Right. And why they've just spent half a million dollars on something that's crap. It's a really hard situation to be in. [1446],[1447]
And everything has to go through the CCO, which is Ty Montague, who is the chief creative officer. But he kind of runs the whole show, and give it a thumbs up. Or if that's completely embarrassing, then he'll pull the plug. [1448]
It feels like 15 to 20, but I'm sure it's not that much. Eight? I don't know. [1450],[1449]
Yeah. I don't know, every time I walk into those ... I remember walking into those rooms and being like, "Why is there all these people here?" [1505],[1452],[1451]
I don't know, because the meeting that we would go into with them, because it was usually over the phone, because it was in Europe. But there were people on some of those conversations, there were people in London, there were people in New York, but in other offices. And then there were people in ... where was it? France or something? Yeah. There was several different countries involved in every conference call. It was ridiculous. [1453],[1454]
Yeah, but it was being run out of another office and it was really weird. I couldn't tell you. [1455],[1456]
There's a lot of rules with them. They have a very distinct idea of who they think girls are. So, it's kind of hard trying to nail that down because they went through a long time where they didn't really know. They kept changing their minds [1458]
There's a lot of rules with them. They have a very distinct idea of who they think girls are. So, it's kind of hard trying to nail that down because they went through a long time where they didn't really know. They kept changing their minds. [1457]
A million times. Yeah, that I couldn't tell you how many times that changed. [1459]
And I still think, they've gotten to a better place I think recently with it. But at that particular junction, I think they just had ... that was one of the hardest things is, trying to get them to nail down who exactly they were talking to. And what her, in their heads, what this girl's personality, what she thinks, what she doesn't like, what she likes. [1461],[1460]
But at that particular junction, I think they just had ... that was one of the hardest things is, trying to get them to nail down who exactly they were talking to. And what her, in their heads, what this girl's personality, what she thinks, what she doesn't like, what she likes. [1506]
With that, yeah. Because they wanted to play it super safe. They didn't want to offend anybody, so they would go with, she was in [inaudible 00:24:34] things, and that's it. [1462]
That was the main idea, that if this girl has volume in her hair, that she'll have to be daring and have all this confidence and do all these crazy things. [1464],[1463]
Not really. That's one of the things Unilever is really good about. They're really good at ... they know what it takes to do a certain spot. I mean, there's always budget restrictions, but- [1465]
Yeah. Because they know, hair is usually very costly thing to do just because it's not just going in and shooting hair. There's all this post production work. Every fricking hair has to be in place. And you literally have to go in and watch the editing people put each hair in place. It's ridiculous, takes a million years. But that also costs a lot of money. [1466]
So, they know full well that they're going to be spending quite a lot. [1467]
Time was [1507]
Time was ... Yeah, because they kept giving us more things to do. I say three spots, we wrote the last spot in Argentina. Because they decided that they needed to sell hairspray, too. They wanted to use the same girl and one of the same sets, but have a different spot. [1468],[1469]
And so, we had to write it while we were down there and get it approved. [1471],[1470]
It was always ... because they were always adding something else. [1473],[1472]
It doesn't change that much. I don't know if it really changes that much. We try to really support each other. I think we both have our strengths and weaknesses and we try to play off of those. [1508]
It doesn't change that much. I don't know if it really changes that much. We try to really support each other. I think we both have our strengths and weaknesses and we try to play off of those. And I'm sure she gets pissed off at me sometimes. [1474]
But in general, if anybody ... she's always there as a support. Which is actually really nice, because you always have somebody to back you up. Or disagree with you, that, too. [1475]
That one was we were just trying to not make it stupid. We had this message that we had to get across, that volume gives you more confidence. We didn't really buy, but we were like, " All right, fine." [1476]
And so, it was trying to find a way to turn that into something that's fun and interesting. I mean, the story behind that plot line was, this girl going into a train station, sees this guy. There was no dialogue, so it was all her. She sees that she's looking good that day and she's like, "All right, fuck, I'm going for it." [1477],[1478]
But we had one client that was awesome. And he was the fighter for us and he was really trying to ... he was on our side. And he was really trying to champion not going too far into, this is a commercial and it doesn't ... He was trying to keep it very, at least so it felt real. [1480]
It's tough, because they were going through a lot of internal bull crap. [1509]
It's tough, because they were going through a lot of internal bull crap. I think they were trying to keep us out of. But we had one client that was awesome. And he was the fighter for us and he was really trying to ... he was on our side. And he was really trying to champion not going too far into, this is a commercial and it doesn't ... He was trying to keep it very, at least so it felt real. [1479]
But then there was this other stupid girl from France. I never met her, she was just on the phone all the time. And she was ... I don't know that she ever really knew what was going on. She always had something to say and it was never really relevant, ever. [1483],[1482],[1510],[1481]
So, some of them, we had a really good relationship, and some of them we didn't have a really good relationship. And it was weird because it seems like the people that we did have a good relationship with didn't get along with those people either. But you have to deal with everybody. [1484]
On that one, we had a really ... it was a friend of ours that ... well, she became a friend of ours, actually. But she's really, really good account person. It's really nice when account people know ... It's really nice when people know what they're doing because then ... It's like, if they don't know what they're doing it's really hard, and you kind of hate them. And if they do know what they're doing, they make everything awesome. And it makes it easier for us to do our job, correctly. [1485]
Just knowing ... They're main job is really to manage the client, their client expectations. But also be able to get us the information that we need. Some of the bad ones don't do that. They'll leave out things thinking they're protecting us. And then, we'll do all this work and then run into these roadblocks that they've known about for months, that they just didn't tell us. [1487],[1486]
They'll leave out things thinking they're protecting us. And then, we'll do all this work and then run into these roadblocks that they've known about for months, that they just didn't tell us. [1511]
And so a lot of it, if you have a really good connection and dialogue with the account people and the planners and the executives as well. Anyway, it's just the same teamwork stuff. [1488],[1489]
I don't know about from that ... I mean, they told us people in Russia loved it. That's all we heard. It was on ... we found it on some website, but it's hard. [1490]
Reference Tags
[1491] Pessimism bias,[1492] Empathetic disposition,[1416] Illusory superiority,[1418] Compromising conflict about ideas,[1493] Reactance,[1417] Unresolved relationship conflict,[1494] Woman blaming man,[1495] Win-win conflict about ideas,[1419] Organizing effectively,[1420] Resilience,[1421] Trust,[1423] Communication issues,[1422] Unresolved relationship conflict,[1425] Communication issues,[1424] Unresolved relationship conflict,[1426] Great example - JWT Methods,[1428] Communication issues,[1497] Irreconcilable differences,[1496] Trust,[1427] Trust,[1498] Unresolved relationship conflict,[1499] Woman blaming man,[1429] Quick resolution of relationship conflict,[1500] Forceful conflict about ideas,[1430] Believes one has a hopeful path,[1432] Quick resolution of relationship conflict,[1431] Win-win conflict about relationships,[1433] Believes one has a hopeful path,[1436] Communicating ideas across domains,[1434] Quick resolution of relationship conflict,[1435] Trust,[1437] Believes one has a hopeful path,[1441] Decisive leadership,[1438] Great example - Team Dynamics,[1440] Organizational encouragement,[1502] Organizing effectively,[1439] Organizing effectively,[1501] Trust,[1503] Win-win conflict about relationships,[1442] Believes one has a hopeful path,[1443] Quick resolution of relationship conflict,[1504] Pessimism bias,[1444] Believes one has a hopeful path,[1445] Quick resolution of relationship conflict,[1446] Believes one has a hopeful path,[1447] Empathetic disposition,[1448] Decisive leadership,[1450] Insufficient Feedback,[1449] Vague roles,[1505] Indecisive leadership,[1452] Insufficient Feedback,[1451] Vague roles,[1453] Insufficient Feedback,[1454] Vague roles,[1455] Insufficient Feedback,[1456] Vague roles,[1458] Vague goals,[1457] Anchoring,[1459] Vague goals,[1461] Illusory superiority,[1460] Vague goals,[1506] Communication issues,[1462] Risk compensation,[1464] Confirmation bias,[1463] Illusory superiority,[1465] Appropriate resources,[1466] Appropriate resources,[1467] Appropriate resources,[1507] Planning fallacy,[1468] Planning fallacy,[1469] Scope creep,[1471] Planning fallacy,[1470] Scope creep,[1473] Planning fallacy,[1472] Scope creep,[1508] Win-win conflict about relationships,[1474] Trust,[1475] Trust,[1476] Yielding conflict about ideas,[1477] Believes one has a hopeful path,[1478] Compromising conflict about ideas,[1480] Trust,[1509] Internal changes/challenges,[1479] Internal changes/challenges,[1483] Insufficient Feedback,[1482] Reactive devaluation,[1510] Unresolved relationship conflict,[1481] Woman blaming woman,[1484] Unresolved relationship conflict,[1485] Organizational encouragement,[1487] Communicating ideas across domains,[1486] Organizational encouragement,[1511] Communication issues,[1488] Communicating ideas across domains,[1489] Organizational encouragement,[1490] Insufficient Feedback