Merge Teams with the Chicago-based Company Tapping its Editorial, Motion Design, VFX and Animation Services for a Broadcast/Internet Campaign Cut to the Tune of a Nostalgic TV Theme Song
The Colonie editor Tom Pastorelle recently partnered with Merge on a broadcast and web campaign for Advocate Aurora Health, one of the largest not-for-profit integrated health systems in the country. The Chicago-based company’s editorial and postproduction services were tapped for a trio of spots by the marketing and advertising agency, which executed a large media buy for the campaign that included local airing during this year’s Super Bowl.
All of the commercials are set to the melody of ‘C’mon, Get Happy,’ the theme song from the ‘70’s TV Show, ‘The Partridge Family.’ The lyrics are switched to ‘C’mon, Get Healthy,’ with variations on the verses and tempo underscoring each spot’s message and establishing its tone.
‘Anthem,’ an emotional :60, touches on seminal moments in a couple’s life. It tells the story of a boy and girl who first meet at a football game, become high school and then college sweethearts, marry, have a child, and watch their daughter go off to college, leaving the empty-nesters to begin the next chapter of their lives. Cut to a slow-paced version of the track, the story ends where it began, on the football field. The spot closes with the tagline, “Together let’s make healthy happen."
"‘Anthem’ was a lot of fun to edit,” says Pastorelle, who cut the spots on Adobe Premiere. “We played with a few different options for opens and endings before deciding to bookend the commercial with the couple back where they first met. We also explored different ways to use voiceover, ultimately discovering that the storytelling was more engaging with just the music and vocals.”
"Cutting a 60-second spot that spans 30-years required making some tough choices," adds the editor. "one of the challenging aspects of the process was parting with some of director Paul Dektor's beautiful scenes.
The lively feel of the :30’s, ‘Cardio’ and ‘Tech’ are a departure from ‘Anthem’s’ touching story. Pastorelle wove together a variety of cheery, light-hearted scenes for the spots that feature diverse groups of people engaging in healthy everyday activities while singing along with upbeat versions of “C’mon, Get Healthy.”
“Hearing so many different voices singing the lyrics makes the spots feel very inclusive,” says the editor. “However, many of the actors’ vocalizations weren’t in sync with the soundtrack, which made cutting both ‘Cardio’ and ‘Tech’ pretty tricky.”
Pastorelle worked with Assistant Editor Lindsey Fisher, reviewing the footage multiple times to find the scenes with performances that best matched the music and fit the sequencing. After considerable tweaking, including ADR, they were able to align the vocals with the tracks seamlessly.
‘Cardio’ showcases people enjoying everyday activities as they sing along with a lively version of ‘C’mon, Get Healthy.' The :30 spot features groups of people exercising together, from running to practicing ‘goat’ yoga in a park - while live
goats join in on the action.to a lady dancing with her dog, and a runner taking a moment to check her stats on her ‘smart’ watch.
‘Tech,’the other :30 in the campaign, weaves together scenes of folks enjoying a various activities while using Advocate’s digital health services network to schedule appointments and e-visits, as well as access data and tools from where ever their day takes them. The voiceover, “Advocate Aurora offers new ways to connect to your health - anytime anywhere. Together let’s make healthy happen,” helps bring home its message.
