ABOUT

PROJECT:

$4 Mil Global campaign for Mastercard

CONCEPT:

I was contracted by The Creative Director of McCann Singapore to write the scripts for a five minute film featuring Mastercard's Brand Ambassador, Hugh Jackman. The Campaign concept was 'Free To Dream' and the campaign was launched to promote Mastercard's 'Safety and security' features. The client wanted to show users they could live freely and adventurously, knowing that even if things didn't go according to plan, Mastercard would keep them safe. I was briefed to create a five minute script which could be produced as a singular film as well as seperate 1 minute, 2 minute and 30 second cut downs.

Before I had begun the work, McCann Singapore had already briefed the project out to a number of other writers, and several scripts had already been developed and rejected. By the time I became involved, the agency had less than a week left to get the campaign approved, and there were no ads to present.

I agreed to produce the scripts very quickly, just days before Christmas. I was chosen for the project, because I had previously won multiple awards working as a lyricist and comedic songwriter. The scripts I had been briefed to create for Mastercard were intended to be long-form poetic and comedic monologues, which could be performed in real time rhythmic pentameter by Hugh Jackman. The scripts needed to be written as prose. I was the right person for the job.

I wrote the campaign in less than a week. My scripts were immediately approved in Singapore, after which I was asked to present the scripts in a live reading to the global Mastercard team in New York, which I did. The Executives were thrilled with my scripts, and the Singapore agency won the project.

EXECUTION:

We began storyboarding and planning the film. The narrative I had written involved Hugh Jackman taking a magical journey through colourful sets full of monkeys, floodwaters, runaway circus performers and the like. It was a very exciting script, and several A list Hollywood directors began pitching to direct the film. However, the project hit a snag when Hugh's management suddenly announced that Hugh would not 'do' poetry performances and that the magical Dr Seuss-inspired style of the film wasn't a style he was happy to play. We went into negotiations with Hugh's management, and I rewrote the scripts accordingly. I took out all the lyrical pentameter, changed the timing, wording and styling, and made new storyboards, to meet the requirements of Hugh's team. The agency, the client, and Hugh's management were all extremely happy with the rewrite. The project was approved, and began entering the early stages of production. However it was a few weeks later, that the global CEO of Mastercard was suddenly replaced. The new CEO immediately put the project on hold as he decided he didn't want to fund a magical ad campaign about dreams and adventures. He wanted something completely different. 'Free to Dream' was cancelled as a concept, and the Singapore office were then asked to rewrite the whole campaign (again) using the same ideas and wording, but with a different storyboard (and no monkeys). There would be no more talk about dreaming. It would be a campaign about real-life, gritty situations where things could go wrong. On the third rewrite, the scripts were approved and went ahead. From this stage onwards, I had no involvement in the shooting or production of the ads, as the project was handled by the Creative Director and an agency writer who tweaked the final product.

RESULTS:

The final ads were VERY different to what I had initially been briefed to create. I still think the original scripts I presented with Hugh and the monkey would have been fantastically cool. But having said that, the client, Hugh's management, and the agency were all very happy with every version of the scripts I wrote. The final ads were all based on my lines, and the Singapore agency would certainly not have got the job without the scripts I presented to the New York team.

The campaign, when it was finally finished, was a great series. Feedback from the public was very positive. The Safety and Security features were clearly communicated, in an interesting way. I'd say it was a successful project.