Traktor Talk Tide

If Stranger Things taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t keep Demogorgons as pets. Wait, no, if it’s taught us anything, it’s that the magic number is actually Eleven. Wait, NO, if it’s really taught us anything, it’s that David Harbour is the tough-guy, everyman father-figure we didn’t know we needed. Plus, as Tide’s output for the Super Bowl goes to prove, he’s not too shabby at commercial work either.

Seemingly taking up every available slot in the Big Game’s breaks, the Tide work saw Harbour invade, disrupt and genuinely ‘make better’ every conceivable ad archetype. Shot by Rattling Stick’s Traktor (themselves veterans of the Bowl), the spots’ likeable humour, pin-point mimicry and wonderfully comedic performances made them faves of the night.

We grabbed the Traktor lads the day after the show to quiz them on the work, the concept and David Harbour’s penchant for a Dad dance…

How did you get involved with the Tide project?

We did a Super Bowl spot (no pun intended) for Tide last year featuring the commentator Terry Bradshaw appearing to have a stain on live TV. Mayhem ensued. It seemed to strike a note with detergent shoppers and awards juries and so Saatchi & Saatchi New York kindly invited us back.

The spots see David Harbour entering a whole heap of different commercial types. Was he always intended to be the star? What made him right for the role?

It was also something that his long-time Manager pointed out over lunch: "most people know him as a really serious guy, so it will be great to show a new side of David". As far as we know David was always the hero. He has a cheeky gleam in his eye, a great sense of humour and a subtle delivery that kept it all clean and warm. As it should be.

How was the prep / shoot? Did it feel like a year’s worth of commercial work in one batch?

It was hectic but fun. The creatives kept coming up with great new ideas right up to each and every deadline (and beyond!).

Did you have to study the commercial archetypes before creating your own versions? What were the key things to get right to ensure the audience were ‘convinced – lighting / set / camera moves?

We went deep together with our crew including the glorious DP Hoyte Van Hoytema. Between us we have shot a commercial or two...

Did you have a favourite fake spot? Were any trickier than you expected?

Some seemed like the funniest when we shot them. In the end it feels like it is the accumulation of executions that makes it all tingle. But since you ask, we love the medical genre tennis spot. Bosh!

You got a whiff of David Harbour’s infamous ‘Stranger Things’ Dad-dance in there. Did that need any direction at all?

We are also dads and dancers, so there was a shared (body) language here.

How nerve-wracking is it having a commercial in the Super Bowl? Do you think of the millions of eyeballs on your work at that moment?

We only thought about the people in the bar around us who kept talking through the ads. That hurts. But once the internet got hold of it we felt good again!

Online feedback to the commercials has been hugely positive. Are you pleased with the response?

It's still trickling in, but it certainly helped soothe this morning's mild hangover.