CHICAGO— Editor Bob Ackerman of The Colonie has teamed up with Leo Burnett Chicago to create two new spots for The Beef Checkoff. These are the first spots by The Beef Checkoff in quite a while and take a fresh approach to a well-known campaign.

Invitation and Island feature a reworking of The Beef Checkoff’s theme music, Aaron Copland’s Rodeo.  The spots use a more intimate solo piano arrangement of the traditionally orchestral song and don’t reveal the iconic melody until midway through the commercial. 

Invitation opens with a young boy who happens to look out his window and sees his elderly neighbor across the street unsatisfied sitting over a meal, apparently alone and unsatisfied. After asking his mother what they are having for dinner and hearing that it is “his favorite, pot roast” the boy disappears out the front door. As his parents finish setting the table, the front door opens and the young boy reenters with the elderly neighbor in tow. “Pot roast is Mr. Korakis’ favorite too,” states the boy, simply. The spot  then transitions from touching to humorous when, in the last shot, the family across the street wonders where “grandpa” went.

Island is all about preparation, beginning with close up shots of a man and woman preparing wine glasses, removing plates from shelves, laying out a white linen table cloth and lighting candles, seemingly preparing a restaurant tabletop for dinner guests. The signature Rodeo begins to play lightly camouflaged in an accompanying piano melody as a shot of two cuts of beef sizzle on a skillet while flower arrangements, pouring of wine and finishing touches are finished. A plate of food is finally presented at a table that, to our surprise, is set in the kitchen of the couple preparing the meal. Sharing a fist bump instead of “cheers”, the couple begins to eat as a voiceover says, “lean beef makes any occasion a special occasion”.

“It was great collaborating with Leo Burnett on Beef advertising,” said Ackerman. “It was especially exciting working with the team on taking a fresh approach to such an iconic brand.”

“Director, Tom Dey was fantastic. He’s renowned for his commercial and feature directing and his talent really shows through in his work,” enthused Ackerman.

 

Credits:

Titles:                   Invitation, Island

Client:                   The Beef Checkoff.

Agency:                Leo Burnett Chicago. Executive Creative Director, Kent Middleton. Copywriter, Jim Korakis. Art Director, Wallis Osborn. Producers, Zach Day, Lee Goldberg.

Production:        Native. Director, Tom Dey.

Editorial:              The Colonie. Editor, Bob Ackerman. Assistant Editor, Brian Salazar. VFX/Finish, Tom Dernulc.

Color:                    NOLO Digital Film. Mike Matusek.

Audio Design/Mix: Particle. Katy Mindeman.

Music:                   Diplomacy Music. Mike Middleton.

The Colonie, www.thecolonie.com

Represented by Megan Kirkpatrick at The House of Representatives