Here’s Your Chance To Strut With The Stars

W Desires is offering the chance to win a trip to the Hollywood premiere of Hancock, starring Will Smith and Charlize Theron.

Enter here for a chance to win.

The grand prize winner and a friend will be treated like Hollywood royalty with professional hair and makeup styling before they are whisked off to walk the red carpet at the star-studded June 30th premiere.

The prize package also includes round-trip airfare and two nights at a chic Los Angeles hotel.

Hancock in theaters July 2nd.

This challenge gave rise to a new corporate promise for Sun International - A Million Thrills. One Destination.

When Sun International briefed Ogilvy South Africa to dramatise its new corporate positioning, the agency came up with a concept to use Charlize Theron as the star. Ogilvy believed that Theron could capture the magic of the brand and truly bring it to life.

“The key focus was to find an individual that could truly answer the brief of uniting very different brands such as gaming and resorts under the umbrella of a million thrills, one destination. Charlize as a persona was amazingly able to not only provide the promise of excitement when it came to gaming but also the grace and sensuality of resorting,” says Nunu Ntshingila, Ogilvy South Africa CEO.

To bring Theron to South Africa and to execute a commercial of this magnitude seamlessly was part of a major collaboration that involved Ogilvy and its Brand Activation 141 division, working with Sun International, Giant Films, Videovision Entertainment and well-known photographer Gerda Genis, who shot stills.

“It is one thing notionally to have her on a shoot, but when you see her in person you really experience the magnetism, aura, presence and beauty she possesses when in front of the camera, even if you are looking at a small monitor 20m away,” points out Felix Kessel, executive creative director, Brand Activation 141.

“Charlize has spectacular attention to detail and has an intuitive understanding of the camera and film language. She knew exactly what she wanted to do and in one take it was done - a consummate professional,” explains Kessel.

Her parts of the commercial were shot in three days and the stills shoot in one day. The ad captures the emotional space of “A million thrills” with Sun International locations used as the backdrop. The commercial began flighting on 26 April 2008.

The sheer scale of the production meant that Giant Films would always shoot with two cameras, never asking Theron for more than two or three takes to a set-up. Crew and cast of over 250 people per day moved like a small invasion through each location.

Helicopters, hot-air balloons, cranes, boat-to-boat photography, tracking vehicles and cable-cam photography and even underwater footage were transported in and out of filming locations for this ambitious project.

“For the first time in a long time consumers will get to view a true ‘blockbuster’ commercial on TV. We look forward to South Africans’ responses as Sun International has truly invested in bringing one of the world’s most iconic actresses to South Africa to bring its brand positioning to life,” concludes Ntshingila.

Source: bizcommunity.com

The commercial was directed by Ian Gabriel and conceptualised by creatives Felix Kessel, Jacques Massardo and Prabashan Pather of Ogilvy South Africa. The commercial marks a bold launch for Sun’s signature campaign for the coming years and gives notice that major brands are all gearing up for the big marketing opportunity that heralds the run-up to South Africa’s host status at the 2010 World Cup.

True to form, this commercial boasts an arresting soundtrack by Muse, aptly supporting its diverse and breathtaking visuals. Gabriel’s direction expertly brings out the commercial’s international feel while embracing its South African flavour: a melding of two worlds which Charlize Theron so accurately embodies.

Shooting with South Africa’s favorite Hollywood star presented the producers with some fascinating challenges. Time constraints were predictably tight, with Theron’s travel dates being confirmed just three weeks before her arrival back on South African soil. Lisa Jaffee, Head of Broadcast at Ogilvy explains, “Our delight with the end result of this commercial is doubled, when you consider that Giant Films were given three weeks, to quote and prep a six day shoot. In addition to pulling this off, Ian had to devise a shot list and shooting schedule which would maximize the very limited shoot days and shooting hours we had with Charlize Theron. I think a huge logistical feat and a fantastic visual result was achieved.”

Ian Gabriel describes how the shoot’s smooth running was made possible “because the agency bought into the process 100%. There was no room for confusion or two points of view on the floor,” he explains. “We’d pre-light and pre-rehearse with a double and would always shoot with two cameras, never asking Charlize for more than two or three takes to a set-up.”

“Charlize was an absolute pleasure to work with,” he continues. “She’d respond with instinctive intelligence to any performance adjustments. Charlize is a great star and a greater talent and is able to step in and out of character at will. She particularly loved being lit by our camerawoman Vicci Turpin.”

The commercial marked a unique collaboration between Giant Films and Videovision, as Anant Singh Executive Produced the commercial together with Cindy Gabriel and Kirsten Clarence of Giant Films, and Helena Spring of Videovision. It was lit by Vicci Turpin and edited by Ricky Boyd.

Brendan Seery, Media and Marketing, gives the spot an Orchid.

Source: bizcommunity.com