Tandem creates unforgettable spot for Plop Star debut

Tyler Jay, Plop Star

Tyler Jay, Plop Star

Director Tyler Jay
goes all out
in a big way
to help launch a
new product that
fights toilet odor

Director Tyler Jay and his team at Tandem, Inc. wrote an exceptional script for a comedic testimonial video starring the founder of Plop Star, a new product that kills toilet odor.

Plop Star works to block bathroom stench with a pleasant citrus aroma that disseminates from an effervescent tablet dissolved in the toilet bowl moments before something less-aromatic splashes in.

So you can “Rock the bowl with confidence, anywhere, anytime.”

Jay and his team decided to flout Plop Star’s stink-neutralizing power by recreating certain scenarios where the product could really come in handy.

“When number two hits, you got to go no matter where you are.” explains Jay. “Often times, it is not in the comfort of your own home.”

To complement vignettes involving family, friends, and common social situations, they added a humorous touch by introducing a self-propelled, eye-catching prop and a bit of implied partial nudity.

The concept delicately and hilariously acknowledges that, without poop, Plop Star wouldn’t exist.

 
PLOP STAR | BY TANDEM, INC.

 

Jay developed Plop Star on evenings and weekends when he wasn’t working or spending time with his wife and two children. To make the branded video that introduces the product, he enlisted the same people who have been helping Tandem create films, commercials, and branded content for the likes of Coca Cola, Grub Hub, and Humana.

“We had a couple different scripts and a buddy of mine said, ‘you should be in the commercial,’” Jay recalls. “I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if I was on a moving toilet.”

Over an eight-hour shoot on Columbus Day, the “super small crew” shot the intro, outro, book club scene, and restaurant scene in and around Jay’s suburban home. They filmed the office scene at the end of the shoot in a bank that was closed for the holiday.

Besides filming a Graduate-style dolly zoom during the intro, Jay says that his greatest challenge was “remembering my lines,” a task that he says he “failed horribly.”

“I’ve always had major respect for on-camera talent,” he explains. “There’s a reason I’m always behind the camera. It’s also really hard when you’re not only the actor but also the director.”

The work was intensified by the fact that, even though he “had a lot of friends come out and offer support,” he was still working outside in his underpants.

“It was a holiday, and I felt like half the town walked past us,” he recalls. “My wife has been an amazing support with the development of Plop Star. I did, however, lose a bit of that while filming on a toilet in our front yard with my pants down.”

Plop Star is available at Amazon and plopstar.co.

 
CREDITS
Client: Plop Star, LLC

Production Company: Tandem, Inc.
   Director: Tyler Jay
   DP: Andrew Dryer
   Copywriter: Dave Wasserman

Editorial: The Colonie
   Editor: Nathan Rodgers

Sound Design: Comma Music
   Sound Engineer: Jordan Stalling

Film Colorist: Michael Matthews

 
Send your campaign updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.