Pacifico - Spin the Bottle - (2013) :60 (USA)

Milkt, the bicoastal directing collective behind MILKPEP’s Got Chocolate Milk? spots and memorable work for Samsung and Absolut has just launched a campaign for Pacifico from the lens of award-winning Director Taylor Steele. Working closely with the GSD&M creative team, Andy Miller and Joel Davis, Steele turned out his first project with Milkt, firing the starting gun on an intriguing new partnership.

Taylor’s pair of atmospheric spots hew to Milkt’s strong tradition of creating high-quality work with superior production values. Original Explorers is a grainy recreation of Baja Mexico circa 1972, narrating the journey of VW Bus-driving surfers who discover Pacifico at a roadside bar and carry the brew back to the US in wooden crates. For a more contemporary take, Spin the Bottle works the beer in as a subtle accessory to an intrepid band of hip, devil-may-care explorers who spin a Pacifico bottle and wheel off to wherever it points.
Working with the detailed creative that Miller and Davis had crafted, Steele collaborated closely with the pair to develop an authenticity of time and place. “I find that people resonate more with a product or film if they feel it, so my goal is to make the audience feel as though they are living the story,” notes Steele. “This requires capturing details both close and intimate to complement the wide-angle shots that we chose. Everything from frame rates to lens choice can have a big effect on audience perception.”
In joining Milkt, Steele is aligning himself with a commercial production company for the first time after decades of making influential travel and surf documentaries through his Poor Specimen production company. He is also well known for his procession of work for Corona, which includes conception and management of their hugely popular La Casa retreat for artists and musicians in Byron Bay, Australia.
“Taylor’s evocative, memorable work is a seamless fit for Milkt’s pioneering spirit and dedication to excellence,” notes Milkt founder and EP Lindha Narvaez, who runs the studio alongside industry veteran cinematographer Vance Burberry. “We are the little known secret in the production community, always striving for the simple, and believable. These two spots are an exemplar that Taylor embraces that same ethos of spare and powerful storytelling.”
Indeed, Steele’s work drew rave reviews from the creative team at GDS&M. “Taylor brought a level of expertise to the subject that was invaluable,” remarked GSD&M CD Andy Miller. “On top of that, he understood the balance between cinematic storytelling and client branding extremely well, and delivered a perfect mix of the two.”
Agency producer Kelly Wood was equally enthused about Steele’s collaborative abilities and work ethic. “As a producer, the things I really need from a production company are a willingness to play together as a team, to be flexible when the inevitable situation arises, and to be very communicative throughout, so we can deal with obstacles together – Milkt excelled in all areas. Lindha was wonderful, and we immediately saw eye to eye. Throughout the process, they were easy to collaborate with and they went above and beyond at every stage of the project. I feel that GSDM, Pacifico and Milkt started a wonderful partnership here.”
The Pacifico campaign, which will broadcast in mid June in Southern California and Austin as well as nationally on digital sites such as Hulu and YouTube, marks the beginning of banner year for Milkt productions, with new projects coming from renowned rock & roll documentarian and longtime Milkt associate Danny Clinch, along with the directing debut of renowned agency creative Andy Clarke. All work is scheduled to run through October.

See Original Explorers here.

Client: Crown Imports LLC
Product: Pacifico
Spot Titles: Spin the Bottle
Air Date: June 22, 2013

Agency: GSD&M
Executive Creative Director: Jay Russell
Group Creative Directors: Robert Lin, Jeff Maki
CD/Art Director: Joel Davis
CD/Writer: Andy Miller
Producer: Kelly Wood
Project Manager: Marlo Gil
Executive Producer: Laura Busino
Agency Producer: Kelly Wood
Editor: Sam Selis
Director: Taylor Steele
Account Service: Jeff Orth, Mario Solis

Production Company: Milkt Films
Director: Taylor Steele
Executive Producer: Lindha Narvaez
Director of Photography: Todd Heater
Additional Photography: Alejandro Berger

Color Grading: Ntropic
Colorist: Marshall Plante

Editorial: Beast Editorial- Austin
Editor: Sam Selis
Finish: Jim Reed
Executive Producer: Ron Rendon
Producer: Erin Dykman