Union’s Merritt Duff cuts through Tech Issues for Progressive
Art imitates life, in all its Zoomed-up, stressed-out, physically-distanced craziness.
)
Jamie, Mara, Flo and the rest of the Progressive team recently turned up for a Zoom meeting, as the insurance company debuted its first spot in the lockdown era.
It’s not surprising that this bunch faces Tech Issues as they adjust to working from home. Created via Progressive’s longtime agency Arnold, the commercial was directed by Station Film’s Brendan Gibbons, and edited by Union Editorial NY’s Merritt Duff. While the outing is part of an ongoing collaboration between client, agency, director and editor that spans several years, the current project definitely took on new meaning in a changing world.
“Virtual edits aren’t a new thing, obviously,” Duff observed, “but they’re usually done office to office within an infrastructure designed to support it. Now we’re depending on home internet setups. So, there are minor frustrations. With this spot, though, it was in those moments that we found the humor. It was oddly therapeutic.”
Credits
powered by
- Agency Arnold Worldwide/Boston
- Production Company Station Film
- Director Brendan Gibbons
-
-
Unlock full credits and more with a Source + shots membership.
Credits
powered by
- Agency Arnold Worldwide/Boston
- Production Company Station Film
- Director Brendan Gibbons
- Associate Creative Director/ Copywriter Zac Milner
- Broadcast Producer Mike Lawson
- Chief Creative Officer Sean McBride
- Creative Director Joshua Kahn
- Creative Director Nate Donabed
- Creative Director/ Art Director Thomas Hair
- Executive Producer Caroline Gibney
- Editing Company Union Editorial
- Partner/Editor Merritt Duff
- Managing Director/Partner Caryn MacLean
- Executive Producer Melissa Lubin
- Senior Producer Susan Motamed
- Post Producer Tim Vierling
- Sound Engineer Milos Zivkovic
- Executive Producer Stephen Orent
- Line Producer Julie Lee
- Flame Artist Jason Ortenberg
- Colorist Alex Bickel
Credits
powered by
- Agency Arnold Worldwide/Boston
- Production Company Station Film
- Director Brendan Gibbons
- Associate Creative Director/ Copywriter Zac Milner
- Broadcast Producer Mike Lawson
- Chief Creative Officer Sean McBride
- Creative Director Joshua Kahn
- Creative Director Nate Donabed
- Creative Director/ Art Director Thomas Hair
- Executive Producer Caroline Gibney
- Editing Company Union Editorial
- Partner/Editor Merritt Duff
- Managing Director/Partner Caryn MacLean
- Executive Producer Melissa Lubin
- Senior Producer Susan Motamed
- Post Producer Tim Vierling
- Sound Engineer Milos Zivkovic
- Executive Producer Stephen Orent
- Line Producer Julie Lee
- Flame Artist Jason Ortenberg
- Colorist Alex Bickel
Duff and the team also mined the video conferencing milieu for both laughs and solutions. “We found ourselves doing real time research for the cut,” he said. “Someone would freeze up for a few seconds or get choppy and we’d add it to the glossary of glitches we could apply. At the same time, we were careful not to overuse these devices. We were more interested in less conspicuous ways of hiding cuts that bridged performances, ensuring a linear feel. Overall, we let the laws of the Zoom universe guide us, then bent or broke those rules, depending on what felt funniest and most organic.”
Naturally, “Working from Home,” as the new campaign is called, was a remote production, with “Tech Issues” requiring a 5-day post turnaround. Duff said he was inspired by “a herculean effort on the part of everybody involved from pre-production through finishing.”
Duff just finished cutting two additional spots for the “Working from Home” campaign.
+ membership
Access the world's largest advertising database. With an intuitive toolset that helps you explore, present and collaborate more effectively.
Learn More
