After a several-year TV advertising hiatus, Gap pushed back into the spotlight in 2013 with a pair of celebrity-driven campaigns directed by Milkt‘s Danny Clinch via Peterson Milla Hooks. This autumn’s Back to Blue campaign featured Alexa Ray Joel, daughter of Billy Joel, and Dhani Harrison, son of George Harrison, delivering their own renditions of two of their fathers’ most beloved hits. The recent Make Love campaign follows legendary singer Tony Bennett into a high school, where he belts out his classic The Best Is Yet to Come with student beneficiaries of his Exploring the Arts Foundation.
While Clinch gathered plenty of documentary-style interview footage from each subject during the shoot, the final spots were lean and compelling stories. “The less is more approach really paid off,” notes Clinch. “Keeping things classic and timeless never goes out of style.”
The filming of Make Love was considerably streamlined by Bennett’s ease of working with and respect for the students. Clinch, who plays music himself and has already built relationships with many of his celebrity subjects prior to the shoot, is a natural on such shoots. “Working with Danny is always a pleasure,” notes Dhani Harrison, star of the campaign’s first spot. “He knows how to put you at ease while capturing you in your most natural element.”
Regardless of the subject, Clinch operates under the philosophy that his talent will relax if given the right atmosphere and preparation. “I believe it’s important to create a relaxed atmosphere so people are comfortable and able to reveal themselves,” Clinch says. “Once I share a short brief of what I’m looking for with the talent, I like to let things carry out on their own. The final product is always better if it happens naturally.”
“Danny is a wonderful partner, a big talent with a great eye who is incredibly nice to work with” says Courtney Vincent, Associate Creative Director. Aldo Hertz, Head of Production at Peterson Milla Hooks, was similarly effusive. “Working with Milkt has been great. The production team is very collaborative and smart. The entire Milkt team is wonderful at staying nimble and keeping everything calm, even when working with famous music artists.”
Creative Credits:
Spot Title: Exploring the Arts, Holiday 2013
Client: GAP
Global Chief Marketing Officer: Seth Farbman
Sr. Director, Global Brand Creative: Suzi Jones
Sr. Director of Global Marketing and Brand Communications: Marcela Aguilar
Director, Global Marketing and Brand Communications: Jo Di Stasi
Sr. Manager, Global Marketing and Brand Communications: Devaunshi Mahadevia
Senior Manager Global Wardrobe Production: Mary Manning
Agency: Peterson Milla Hooks
Creative Director: Dave Peterson
Associate Creative Director: Courtney Vincent
Executive Producer: Aldo Hertz
Producer: Bianca Cochran
Production Company: Milkt Films
Director: Danny Clinch
Executive Producer: Lindha Narvaez
Producer: Paula Cohen
Director of Photography: Vance Burberry
Editorial: Channel Z
Editor: Brett Astor
Producer: Kelly Nelson
Post: Pixel Farm
Colorist: Dave Sweet
Efx Artists: Kurt Angell, Jay Holgate
Producer: Krystal Lamoreaux
via: Trust Collective