Wednesday 18 May 2016

Greatest telly commercial ever

In William Blake's elaborate cosmogeny Ariston is a minor figure - the king of beauty, who builds for his stolen bride Anana a palace on the Atlantean hills.

In our prosaic age Ariston is a brand name - or was. The company behind what is surely the greatest television commercial ever made, or ever likely to be made.

Just watch it, and I'll bet you'll immediately watch it again, and again and again, The most mesmerising telly ad ever broadcast, quite staggering in its confident ingenuity - as if a bunch of bright French Oulipians had been let loose in a studio with a big budget and no constraints. The director was Richard Dean. Chapeau!

Full credits:  


Agency GGT.1991. 
Creatives: Graham Fink & Tim Mellors. 
Feat: Sorkina Tate & Laurence Marks. 
Dir: Richard Dean. 
Camera: Chris Parker. 
Art Dir: Bryce Walmsley. 
Choreo: David Toguri. 
Harry ops: Bob Hodgson & Mark Nelmes.

(I have no idea what 'Harry ops' is, or are)


You can see a longer HD version of the ad here.


1 comment:

  1. I found your charming comments about Ariston by chance: I was trying to find the whereabouts and doings of Sorkina — she who floats around rather campily, alternately busy and ethereal — clicked a link and found the piece.
    I'm glad you liked the ad. We had a good time doing it. It took two long days to shoot, I think, and twelve weeks or so to put together.
    Harry ops are the guys who operate Harry, the first really fluid digital composing tool, without which etc, etc.
    Aren't you a friend of David Holzer? I know the name from somewhere...
    Regards
    Richard Dean (dean.richard@gmail.com)

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