Sandro’s docu videos upend typical celeb watch ads

Woman fire fighter in “Authentic People” videos

World-renowned director/photographer Sandro brought his portrait artistry to a two-video docu-style campaign, “Inspired by Authenticity,” for agency Sacramento, Cal.-based MeringCarson’s client, Victorinox Swiss Army Watches.


Unlike the typical watch ads that glorify high fashion models and celebrities, the Victorinox videos feature six real people – Sandro’s specialty:  a fencing coach, chef, bassoonist, photographer, leather goods designer and a woman in charge of firefighters at the Fire Academy, talking about their passions and what it means to be authentically what they are.


“At the intersection of honest and provocative is where you’ll find Sandro,” says Roy Skillicorn of Seed Media Arts, Chicago and Santa Monica, which reps Sandro and produced the videos. He also was executive producer on the shoot.


Directed by Sandro and shot by with Chicago cinematographer and spot specialist Chris DeFord, the campaign was produced by Roy Skillicorn’s Seed Media Arts of Chicago and Santa Monica.


The production worked out of an empty floor in Big Deahl’s century old factory building, where Media Arts is located. “The location could not have been more logical and genuine for this project,” notes Skillicorn, who also served as executive producer. 


“Sandro is all about authenticity and genuineness and it shows in his powerful imagery in both motion and stills,” notes Seed EP Tim Ward, in their Santa Monica office. “After hearing what the agency was going for, we knew we had a leg up on the competition.”


Producer was Fred Smith, a major agency player, production executive  and founder/CEO of Leap Partnership in the mid-‘90s, a cutting-edge ad agency and internet developer that counted Budweiser, Nike, P&G and Microsoft as clients


See the videos here.