Publicis Talk Village People and Disco Power

Last week Publicis UK and SKUNK director Brian Lee Hughes released a campaign for a new client, estate agent, YOPA and the three 30-second commericals star none other than iconic disco legends, The Village People. 

If you don't know The Village People, well, then you just don't know music. Below Brian Lee Hughes, Publicis ECD Dave Monk and Publicis producer Colin Hickson receal the thinking behind the campaign and what it was like working with musical royalty. 

How quickly did the idea of using The Village People come about?

DM: The idea of using the disco legends themselves and the incredibly fortuitous link of Y-O-P-A came about after the initial chemistry meeting [and] in that kick-bollock-scramble stage just before the first pitch meeting.

The whole thing started with a script which involved tweaked lyrics to the immortal YMCA; it made us laugh, but also cringe a bit, so after a bit of chat around a table, the idea of them all living in a house in Norwich and being unable to ‘move on’ tumbled out, which seemed a bit funnier. We felt it was important that we played the whole thing tongue in cheek, instead of some all-singing all-dancing ball of obviousness. Britain loves celebs who can have a giggle.

What did you think when you first saw the script for this project?

BLH: Honestly, the flood of dream visions where initially a bit overwhelming. Yes, “YOPA” and “YMCA” are both four letter words that begin with a “Y” and end with an “A”. And yes, the Village People are fascinating.

Both of these facts were enough to make me curious. The genius that got me hooked was the deeper pre-supposition that The Village People still lived together, and not in the village of Greenwich Village, but instead, in the village of Norwich.   

Did you immediately know how you wanted to approach it?

BLH: Well, I love finding an angle where the comedy comes from some sort of situational friction. For me, that hook came from imagining the comic complications, where cosiness reveals claustrophobia, in the tight quarters of a Norwich cottage with six costumed co-habitors co-existing there.

Also, from a lifetime running record labels, I am very well aware of the primal sin of playing your own music at home. The fact that the tipping point of YOPA somehow triggering YMCA was something we could dangerously rub upon. 

What was it like working with musical legends The Village People?

BLH: At the read-through I struggled to determine which un-costumed Village Person was which. It wasn’t until the early morn of the first shoot day on a sidewalk in the village of Brooklyn that I first witnessed the truly undeniable majesty of The Village People as they strode towards me in full regalia... time slowed down. 

CH:  They were professional personified. With a wealth of performance experience to draw on and a history of supporting each other in a refreshingly harmonious approach.

Why was Brian Lee Hughes the right person for the job?

CH: We were looking for an America-based director to make the logistics of The Village People work, while at the same time understanding the absurdity of the situation, of the Village People living together in a house in the UK. A creative collaborator with lots of ideas who could pitch the humour at the exact right level.

[We also wanted] someone who would get the British sensibility and make the film look great. Brian offered us all that in spades. Furthermore, being represented by SKUNK meant we had fantastic production support in the most challenging of schedules, which clinched the deal.

DM: I’d worked with Brian a couple of times. He’s got the most dry sense of humour, which was perfect for what we needed. We also had no idea whether the Village People could act or perform, so to have a director who could play it straight and smart and not go too panto was perfect.

What was the most challenging part of the shoot?

BLH: Well, the desired Cosiness vs Claustrophobia comedy fantasy became challenging, turgid reality when we finally had all six Village People, and occasionally another performer, and a full crew, and lights, and a stills crew, and extensive production design, and a hurricane offshore, that I fully understood the importance of wearing shorts. 

DM: Taking a call from Colin while on holiday who said that the Village People deal might be on shaky ground because of some legal wranglings in the US. I think Colin lost some hair during that few days, but hats off to him and Fiona, our head of TV admin. They worked tirelessly to pull it all off. They’re the real stars and grafters on this whole thing.

Apart from that, the process was an absolute joy; the clients were and continue to be a delight, and how often do you go from shaking hands with a new client to being on air four weeks later? Quite remarkable really.

CH: The overall schedule in every area proved problematic and took a real team effort to address.  From negotiating the deal with music publishers, trademark agents, theatrical agents and band management, through shooting three spots and accompanying content in two days, after a Labour Day weekend in New York.

And the most rewarding?

BLH: The greatest joy was experiencing the ultra-satisfied faces of my Publicis UK brothers and sisters after they experienced the glorious, luxurious lunches served at a Stateside shoot. There was prime rib warmed by tears, and pockets packed with warm, soft cookies. 

And the most important question; Native American, construction worker, cowboy, policeman or soldier?

BLH: I… Will… Never… Tell…