If there’s anything better than being invited back for another creative animated tv spot by a great creative team: it’s being asked to add a little something that wasn’t in the original script…and watching it take off!
In a spot recorded this summer and readied for air in the fall, the folks at Lawrence & Schiller continued their Telly Award and Addy Award winning media campaign for Taco John’s. My old coot farmer, who raises all the exotic-flavored chickens featured in those Baja Boneless Wings, has been coerced into being a retro DJ for his flock, who want to do…what else(?)…the Chicken Dance.
Originally, my character was just in the one TV spot, a treat in itself. But after the demo tracks were done, I got the question: “If we did some funny lyrics for the Chicken Dance, could the farmer sing them?”
I can’t read music, and can only carry a tune if the bucket’s big enough. But rather than be all humble and shy and say “no”, I figured what the heck.
It actually worked out great. My audition track had the creative team giggling (for all the right reasons). On the day of recording the actual spots I was told they’d decided to go beyond the Radio :60 the lyrics were originally intended for…and use the character bit as a singing tag in all the spots in the campaign: Radio and TV! What a rush! (…and what it did for the session fee wasn’t bad either!)
I haven’t heard the full sing radio version, but you can sample the fun of the tv spot in the video above. Thanks to the Creative Coop at the agency, and for my Family Flock at Sunspots for putting us together in the first place.
…remember this the next time you’re tempted to tell a client you can’t do something.
— over and out —
