My Favourite Steve Rodgers Commercials
This is another in the globally popular ACES series of featuring commercial film directors that I admire for their dedicated craftsmanship in bringing creative concepts and storylines to filmic life that enthrall viewers and motivate well-earned accolades from the Advertising Communications industry.
Steve Rodgers
Australian art school graduate, motion graphics designer, writer, actor and filmmaker, Steve Rodgers is widely regarded as one of the ten best commercial directors in the world.
His long list of awards includes D&AD Yellow Pencils, 6 Cannes Gold Lions, a Gold Addy, The One Show Gold, a Clio Grand Prix, Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Best in Show, and Best in Show at The New York Festivals.
1. AT&T, Shot
Advertsing Agency: BBDO, New York, USA
Steve Rogers directed this rewardingly watchable commercial with a surprise twist in the end for telecommunications company AT&T’s Warner Media Entertainment.
2. CANAL Plus, Mission Really Impossible
Advertising Agency: BETC, Paris, France
The laudable film directional skills of Steve Rogers makes this ‘Mission Impossible’ parody highly amusing and entertaining.
CANAL+, the French Premium Pay TV Channel, has the first broadcast rights on major films in France.
3. Amazon Prime, The Hairdresser
Advertising Agency: Droga5, London, UK
The ‘Marvelous Mrs Maisel’ commercial, directed by Steve Rodgers, is part of Amazon Prime’s TV and online campaign series, ‘Great Shows Stay With You’.
The charming story of a Hairdresser that is a ‘Mrs Maisel’ devotee, for me is an insightful idea of the human truth that ‘Great Shows’ often result in engaging social media ‘shares’ and discussions and even become popular analogies at times for describing topical issues.
The ‘Game of Thrones’ series for example, has become an oft-quoted analogy in press headlines and editorials by political commentators.
4. Tourism Australia, The Son of Crocodile Dundee
Advertsing Agency : Droga5, New York, USA
Directed by Steve Rogers, the Dundee TV commercial was part of an integrated Tourism Australia campaign, launched during the 2018 American Super Bowl Championships, that draws an audience of a 100 million plus viewers of all ages every year.
Starring actors Chris Hemsworth and Danny McBride with a cameo from Dundee star Paul Hogan, the commercial was directed to look like part of a full production, cinematic promotion for a new Crocodile Dundee movie.
The commercial was actually about selling Australia but many viewers thought the ‘trailer’ was real and went on line to find out more about ‘The Son of a Legend Returns Home’.
The campaign motivated 102 million plus video views on social media, and with a television audience tally of 103.3 million, was the tenth most watched commercial in the USA. The result was a 30% increase in Australian related tourism sales.
5. Old Spice, Rocket Car
Advertising Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Oregon, USA
This Cannes Gold Lion winning commercial for the Old Spice ‘Legendary Protection for Legendary Men’ campaign, expertly directed by Steve Rogers, is a cleverly written and entertaining parody of the macho endeavour of breaking the land-speed record.
6. Vodafone, Piggy Sue
Advertising Agency: FCB, New Zealand
Directed by Steve Rogers, ‘Piggy Sue’ not only stole the hearts of New Zealand viewers but also the hearts of country lovers, animal lovers and vegetarians globally.
Vodafone spokesperson Fleur McFarlane said that the commercial was primarily about the national culture of caring for all friends, whether human or animal, and the community spirit that connects all rural New Zealanders.
7. Audi Quattro Christmas, Approaching Chaos
Advertising Agency: Venables Bell & Partners, San Francisco, USA
Directed by Steve Rogers, this is a skillfully dramatised and humorously exaggerated story of two competing Audi Sport Drivers.
The Festive Season can be a chaotic time of year that severely tests the patience of many Dads. These two protagonists have particularly short fuses that seem to be on the verge of sparking off absolute mayhem in a shopping mall.