Elizabeth Banks helms “snug” Tommy John spot

I’ve been a huge fan of Elizabeth Banks ever since I first caught her in Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me if You Can (2002). My fondness for her only grew more as she portrayed J. Jonah Jameson’s assistant Betty Brandt in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man series. Watching her transform herself from a successful comic actress to director was really inspiring for me as I attempted to transform myself from advertising creative director to screenwriter.

Banks, who successfully directed Pitch Perfect 2, has now applied her directing skills to advertising. Teaming with production company, Harvest Films, she has directed a very funny first campaign for a new line of women’s Line for Manhattan-based Tommy John and longtime independently owned creative AOR, Preacher. In this new 60-second spot, which has garnered over 1m YouTube views, the many (and there are MANY) awkward and embarrassing (bunching, riding, rolling) issues women face with their underwear in a campaign titled, “Little Adjustments.”

The 10-year old-brand, mostly known for putting a new spin on men’s underwear, had previously brought humor to the underwear space with partner, investor and fellow Philadelphian, Kevin Hart. But women’s underwear is a whole other category, rife with its own issues to tackle. It was a campaign, Banks was excited to tackle.

“I loved this campaign from the beginning,” said Banks. “The underwear issues showcased in each scene is something we, as women, have all had to deal with in some shape or form. I wanted to capture that collective sense of empathy throughout the film while still making each scenario as funny and compelling as possible.”

Rob Baird, Chief Creative Officer of Preacher, had this to say about Banks, “We’ve been trying to work with and support more female directors, cinematographers and editors period. But on this campaign it was actually essential. Elizabeth could so easily relate to and riff off every single insight, nugget from our brief or bit of feedback from the talent. She really made this true to what women everywhere are facing.”

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Tommy John’s CMO, Josh Dean notes, “Women’s underwear marketing has always been very serious and sexualized, so we wanted to approach the category in a refreshingly fun, relatable and authentically Tommy John way by highlighting the unique problems women face with their underwear.” He adds, “Women’s may be a new division of business for Tommy John, but the strong foundation of our brand remains the same.” ᐧ

The campaign seamlessly delivers humor and a compelling message to women (at least the ones I spoke with) looking for comfortable underwear. Banks applies her trademark approachable humor to the concept created by Preacher copywriter, Joe Hartley and Art Director, Jimmie Blount and successfully keeps in step with Tommy John’s ongoing “No Adjustment Needed” brand platform.

The film is part of an integrated campaign that will appear online, print, out of home, and television throughout the year. As a director, Banks shows why we as advertising creatives should “bank” on her to deliver.

CREDITS:

Colorist: Marshall Plante, Ntropic

Have new work? Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com or follow him on Twitter @colincostello10.