Note: These concepts and script were developed to support the launch of AMC’s new series, Owner’s Manual, for Loyalkaspar, a NYC-based agency.
Owner’s Manual – AMC
LoyalKaspar
Campaign Concepts by Jeff Boortz
The Devil Made Me Do It.
This campaign for OWNERS MANUAL riffs on the classic bit about the critical moments of decision faced in every person’s daily life featuring a persuasive Devil on one shoulder and a plaintive Angel on the other. Only in our case, the Devil is played by Ed Sanders, and the Angel, Marcus Hunt. Marcus urges patience, and a careful, by-the-book approach to problem solving, where Ed urges the decision maker to trust their instincts and dive in.
In each spot, the Everyman decision maker is faced with a choice- follow the manual or fly by the seat of their pants. They listen to their Devil and their Angel, then make a choice and the outcome plays out with humor either way. We could even shoot multiple endings to each spot, showing what might happen if the decision maker had listened to the other influencer.
Spots ideas.
- Dad’s new BBQ.
- Mom buys a bookshelf.
- Christmas Morning Calamity
- Snowboarding is Easy
- Home Gym/Torture Chamber
- Family Hair Cuts with the New Hair Clippers
Each spot features a :15 decision-making vignette, followed by a :7 second Owners Manual promo montage, a 4 second Owners Manual tag, followed by a 3-4 second “topper” related to the vignette.
DAD’s New BBQ. V1.1
| VIDEO | AUDIO |
| Kids lead their dad out to the patio while, his wife holds her hands over her husband’s eyes. | WIFE and KIDS: Surprise! Happy Birthday Dad. |
| Dad’s eyes light up at the sight of a brand new gas BBQ tied up in red ribbons. | DAD: This is awesome! Who’s hungry? |
| The wife’s smile turns into a look of concern. | WIFE: Shouldn’t you read the manual first? |
| Snap zoom into a closeup on Dad with a quizzical look on his face. Onto his shoulder pops Ed, in a red suit. | ED: Owners Manual? It is a grill not the space shuttle. |
| A mischevious smile passes over Dad’s face as he heads toward the grill! Suddlenly, onto his other shoulder, Marcus, in a white suit, appears. | MARCUS: Hold on Chief. Last year 18,000 Americans were sent to the ER because of grilling accidents. * |
| The mention of the emergency room stops Dad in his tracks. Ed grows indignant. | ED: Mankind has been roasting meat over an open flame for over 13,000 years. It’s in our Genes! Trust your gut. |
| Marcus, slightly irritated with the same ‘ole argument waits for his opportunity to interject. | MARCUS: Sure, and that’s always worked out so well for you. I seem to recall… |
| Montage of Ed’s epic fails. Marcus has an “I told you so” smirk plastered on his face. Ed winces, but shrugs it off. | ED: But this is easy. I say go for it. |
| Marcus holds up the BBQ’s owners manual. | MARCUS: And I say, read the Owners Manual. |
| Dad makes his decision and charges forward. The two influencers fall off his shoulders onto the patio table. Cut to promo end tag: Owners Manual. On AMC. Date, Time, etc. |
|
| Alt Topper A:
Cut to dad, his oven mitts aflame, being fogged with a blast from a fire extinguisher by his wife. |
Marcus: Told ya so. How long do you think it will take him to grow those eyebrows back.
ED: About a month. Give or take. |
| Alt Topper B:
Dad serves up a platter of beautifully bbq’d ribs. The family smiles and digs in. |
ED: I told you, it’s in our genes.
MARCUS: It’s survival of the fittest, not the most stubborn. |
If They Had Done It Your Way
This campaign is build around questioning how things would have turned out if, during the course of human history, inventors, explorers, and everyday joes, had done things differently. In some cases it is about great discoveries that were the result of happy accidents, intuition, and a fearless approach to getting things done. In other cases it is about complex tasks and problems that could only be solved by following a carefully outlined procedure. Neither way is right all the time, so there is plenty of fun to be had exploring what would have happened if…
Columbus had a map that showed North and South America, and instantly realized he hadn’t reached India- turned left, and kept going.
The Astronauts in Apollo 13 had spent their last hours looking in vain through their spaceship’s owner’s manual’s trouble shooting guide for instructions on what to do when they found they “had a problem.”
The Revolutionary Army of the American Colonies had decided to stick to the code of military conduct that required them to line up neatly as gentleman and shoot across a field at their better armed and trained foes instead of adopting guerrilla tactics.
From Movies-
What if Jeff Goldblum had read the Owner’s Manual and learned that he should check his transporter for any other lifeforms before entering?
What if a technician at SKYNET read the cautionary note in their new Owners Manual about the potential for their creation to become self aware and destroy all of humanity with killer Terminators, then decided not to plug it in?
A related idea:
Contrast a reading from: Bike Safety manual – http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Bicycles/Bicycle+Safety+Activity+Kit
With a Parkour Bike video: http://www.break.com/index/incredible-bike-parkour-2312481/
Contrast a reading from a vintage Model T- owner’s manual on vehicle maintanence. http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/books/T/Manual/index.htm
And a video on the making of a model T hot rod. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNBbGNRmd_A