LOS ANGELES, April 5, 2011 – When Looking Glass Films director Alek Keshishian and agency Zambezi teamed up to create “Jennifer Aniston Goes Viral” for client Glacéau, they went right to the source for inspiration: other viral videos. The self-consciously “viral” video has garnered over 8 million views on YouTube thanks to the help of SmartWater spokeswoman Aniston and cameos by web sensations Keenan Cahill and Paul “Yosemite Bear” Vasquez (better known as the Lip-syncing Kid and the Double-Rainbow Guy, respectively).
Keshishian, whose recent work includes spots for Clean & Clear’s Morning Burst Body Wash campaign and RoC’s recent re-branding effort, worked with the agency to write the spot. He says, “Zambezi came up with a fantastic concept which they then let me custom make and write for Aniston. It was a great collaborative process that let the piece fit Aniston perfectly.” The SmartWater video distills a web-full of classic viral videos into a spot that could be shot in an 8-hour day. “We had two or three days worth of material to shoot in a half-day once you account for hair and makeup,” according to Keshishian. “We researched popular virals from the last several years and created a list of 10 or 15 themes that seemed to always do well. These we distilled into what would work best with Aniston, Glaceau, and within our 8 hour schedule.” Dancing babies, groin injuries, and sexy slow-mo shots all made the cut, separated by a chorus of three nerds who “directed” Aniston and gave Keshishian a way to transition between gags.
The video also allowed Keshishian to play up Aniston’s off-screen charms, to which he partly attributes the video’s massive views. “People want to see the truth behind a facade; they want to see what Aniston might be like when she’s not ‘acting.’” To pull this off, he told his crew to keep filming even after he yelled “cut,” which made for some hilarious candid moments when things didn’t go according to plan. The result is a funny and endearing homage to viral videos, and a huge success for Aniston and parent brand Glacéau. It’s a modern mix of sheer viral entertainment and commercial branding, and its phenomenal success has been covered in hundreds of blogs as well as mainstream press including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, and Chelsea Lately. And for Glacéau, who was hoping for a million hits, it has surpassed their wildest expectations. The video adds to an impressive list of work by Keshishian which includes the spots “Gold Standard” and “Good News” for RoC’s “Correct What Ages You” campaign, and “Feel Your Body Go” for Clean & Clear. Keshishian directed the documentary feature “Madonna: Truth or Dare,” the feature film “Love and Other Disasters” starring Brittany Murphy, and an online campaign and film for TOD’s featuring Gwyneth Paltrow. He co-wrote Madonna’s directorial debut “W.E.” Paramount has tapped him to write a comedy starring Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson and he is currently completing an original feature script for David Fincher.
Credits
Client: Glacéau
Spot Title: Jennifer Aniston Goes Viral
Agency: Zambezi
Agency CD: Brian Ford
Agency Producer: Alex Cohn
Production Company: Looking Glass Films
Director: Alek Keshishian
DP: James Whitaker
Producer: Dawn Rose/June Guterman
Editorial: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: David Brodie
Online/Beauty: Steele VFX
CG/EFX: Zoic Studios
