Smirnoff - The People’s Challenge / The people choose Smirnoff

Bully Pictures’ Fredrik Callinggard Has a Blast Making New Smirnoff Ad

Bully Pictures' director Fredrik Callinggard captured dramatic images of foundry workers pouring hot, molten metal into giant castings for a spot promoting Smirnoff and its People’s Choice event occurring this month in Las Vegas. Conceived by JWT, New York, the spot shows workers melting trophies awarded to Smirnoff by vodka “experts,” and recasting them into the words for “The People’s Challenge.” The Las Vegas event will pit Smirnoff in a taste test against the world’s most expensive vodkas.

Callinggard shot the spot in a working, 100-year-old foundry in Eastern Europe, recording real workers operating large crucible furnaces used to make industrial castings. After tossing trophies into the fiery crucibles (and shielding their eyes from the leaping flames), the men use an enormous ladle to pour the molten liquid into a scripted mold.

The gritty foundry provided an unusual forum for Callinggard to apply his renowned talent for art direction and mastery of filmmaking techniques. The result is a spot with a distinctive look and plenty of visceral appeal for the campaign’s viewers.

Client: Smirnoff
Agency: JWT, New York. Matt MacDonald, creative director; Michael Ashley, art director; Greg Tharp, senior broadcast producer; Amy Frisch, account director; Sarah Armstrong, account executive.
Production: Bully Pictures, Los Angeles. Fredrik Callinggard, director; Jason Forest, executive producer; Mads Norfeldt Marstrand, producer
Edit: Final Cut, New York.
Post: Nice Shoes, New York.