A photo chronicle of the making of Coke's Angel TV commercial.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A Story Takes Flight: Coke Angel TV Ad
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HOW IT ALL BEGAN
As with all TV commercials, the Angel TV ad started with an objective. In this case, Coca-Cola's goal was to continue to spread the simple message of happiness which is what Coke is all about.
The joy of relishing an ice-cold Coca-Cola is beyond compare. It is an experience that is unique in itself but is universal with everyone. The great taste of Coke is beyond words, yet people from around the world speak of only one feeling when they drink it.
They are instantly transported to The Coke Side of Life.
So, other than humans, could there be beings out there who will be enticed to join the Coke Side of Life? Can Coke be that good that anyone would give up the life that they've been used to? Could the taste of Coke be that great that it can cause those living in totally different planes of existence to live in harmony on the Coke Side of Life?
And so the story unfolded.
The joy of relishing an ice-cold Coca-Cola is beyond compare. It is an experience that is unique in itself but is universal with everyone. The great taste of Coke is beyond words, yet people from around the world speak of only one feeling when they drink it.
They are instantly transported to The Coke Side of Life.
So, other than humans, could there be beings out there who will be enticed to join the Coke Side of Life? Can Coke be that good that anyone would give up the life that they've been used to? Could the taste of Coke be that great that it can cause those living in totally different planes of existence to live in harmony on the Coke Side of Life?
And so the story unfolded.
THE STORY
An angel gets curious about a refreshing drink that humans are enjoying, she decides to come down to earth and become mortal. She soon finds out she wasn't the only one who was enticed by this drink. A drink humans so dearly love--an ice cold Coca-Cola.
THE SEARCH FOR AN ANGEL
This is probably the hardest task that the production had to grapple with. In the first place, who has seen an angel?
Should she be brunette? Blonde? How about mocha-skinned?
It was decided that the angel's looks should take a backseat and the focus should be on acting. The TV ad is an interesting story in itself and acting would carry the day.
Below, some of those considered.
Should she be brunette? Blonde? How about mocha-skinned?
It was decided that the angel's looks should take a backseat and the focus should be on acting. The TV ad is an interesting story in itself and acting would carry the day.
Below, some of those considered.
Charlene
Gabrielle
Lina
ANGEL FOUND
In the end, the production found a real darling in the person of Brazilian model Michelle Dantes to play the crucial role of the angel. Not only is she stunning, she is also a natural in front of the camera. As the billboard photo shoot (below) shows, she is one joyful being.
THE DEVIL
Though the devil only served as the clever twist in the TV ad, there was much reservation whether there should even be a devil in the story. Fears arose of how his presence could be misinterpreted.
However, the bigger idea is that of harmony and happiness which is ultimately what Coke stands for. In this regard, the story of a devil choosing to become mortal because of Coke simply magnified this truth and in the end, his presence in the TV ad became indispensable.
However, the bigger idea is that of harmony and happiness which is ultimately what Coke stands for. In this regard, the story of a devil choosing to become mortal because of Coke simply magnified this truth and in the end, his presence in the TV ad became indispensable.
German-Vietnamese model Benjamin Tang plays the devil
THE DIRECTOR
Any TV ad, no matter how great the story is, can fail miserably if the wrong director works on it.
When this TV ad's storyboard was pitched to both local and foreign production houses, a number of directors made their wishes known that they be given the chance to work on the project as they understood the potential of the idea.
Due to a number of glitches, many of them had to beg off while we had to let go of some as they proved to be too expensive.
As fate would have it, we found a director that seemed to have been destined for this project. He is a young Aussie, passionate and eager to prove himself.
But above all, he is extremely patient and an eternal optimist, never breaking down nor losing his cool given the impossible demands that this project had put upon him.
Hats off to Adrian for a job well-done.
When this TV ad's storyboard was pitched to both local and foreign production houses, a number of directors made their wishes known that they be given the chance to work on the project as they understood the potential of the idea.
Due to a number of glitches, many of them had to beg off while we had to let go of some as they proved to be too expensive.
As fate would have it, we found a director that seemed to have been destined for this project. He is a young Aussie, passionate and eager to prove himself.
But above all, he is extremely patient and an eternal optimist, never breaking down nor losing his cool given the impossible demands that this project had put upon him.
Hats off to Adrian for a job well-done.
Adrian hamming it up with Coke Angel Michelle
Project 1
Music is the language of the soul and for a film to truly speak straight to the heart, it must have the right voice.
The choice of a "superband," members of which come from the Philippines' top bands couldn't any more be a stroke of genius as Coke Angel itself is a story of two worlds coming together.
Ang Sarap Dito by Project 1 set the mood right with its catchy, upbeat tune and more importantly, its message of positivity.
The choice of a "superband," members of which come from the Philippines' top bands couldn't any more be a stroke of genius as Coke Angel itself is a story of two worlds coming together.
Ang Sarap Dito by Project 1 set the mood right with its catchy, upbeat tune and more importantly, its message of positivity.
REMIXING ANG SARAP DITO FOR COKE ANGEL
The Coke Angel TV ad is ethereal in nature, with two otherwordly beings as the main characers. Ang Sarap Dito had to be given a spin and a different feel but at the same time the melody had to remain familiar.
Among a slew of remixes done, the choice boiled down to two. Below are the two final remixes. The first one didn't make it on air due to the quality of the mix (it still rocks, though, and could have been great, nonetheless). The second one is the final remixed version that was dubbed into the commercial (Final remix is by music and sound design company Song Zu Singapore):
Among a slew of remixes done, the choice boiled down to two. Below are the two final remixes. The first one didn't make it on air due to the quality of the mix (it still rocks, though, and could have been great, nonetheless). The second one is the final remixed version that was dubbed into the commercial (Final remix is by music and sound design company Song Zu Singapore):
34 comments:
yay, first to comment. :)
just asking, do you have higher definition images of the goofy shots?
she's adorable. :))
and yes, congratulations on a job well done, i'm from an engineering college, and i really have no idea what kind of work the advertising business involves. got a link to this site from a friend, and i'm quite amazed at the work you guys produce.
it's really a great production, i'm just wishing we could have done that sort of thing here. :)
Hi there Martin, wow that's fast. Wasn't expecting anyone link this blog just yet as it is still incomplete :)
Well thanks for appreciating the work we do. It's not everyday that people find out about the world of advertising. I just want to share it through this Coke commercial.
Regarding your question, you can look up this TVC's behind the scenes photos in Flickr.
There are hi-res images uploaded there :)
Thanks again for visiting!
I love this ad.. so much! Can't get over it..
how come guys always become devils?
Thanks, Anonymous.
Regarding your question, I have a rhetorical one for you; how come guys always become Popes? :)
who was the production designer? who did the casting?
Hi Wawam,
Production design and casting all courtesy of Great Guns Bangkok.
Cheers!
the production designer is a thai? or foreigner? name and nationality, please?
the talents that got hired are based in bangkok?
by the way, linked this blog and your blog in my blog. (that sounds funny.) the-wawam-file.blogspot.com
thanks for answering the questions.
Hi Wawam, thanks for linking and thanks for the interest with this TVC.
Though I am uncomfortable with being mentioned in Wawam as it stands for What-A-Waste-of-Advertising-Money, I hope the presence of Honda's "Cog" and other great ads there bode for a good review on your part.
Anyway, regarding your question, Great Guns Bangkok handled all the logistics inlcluding the talent search so the Manila team is not privy on the nitty-gritty stuff but yes, most of those hired for this commercial were foreign talent, from the main talents to the rigging guys.
You might be wondering why this is so. It all boiled down to the deliverables. This was pitched to both local and foreign production houses but Great Guns Bangkok was the only one able to promise delivery on a killer sked with the quality the Manila team aspired for.
Besides, local or foreign shoot, the post production had to be done abroad anyway so it was better to do everything there as the schedule was really tight and there was no time to fly back and forth during the crucial post production on which this TVC hinged on.
Now, regarding Project 1 and Ang Sarap Dito, the band has been interviewed dozens of times on TV already and they have stated they made this song out of their own effort as Raimund Marasigan has long been contemplating on getting together members of different bands to do something, a "project" hence, Project 1.
The song is a good fit with the TVC and so it was remixxed and used in the commercial.
thanks so much for answering my questions.
first saw the angel ad april 6. must have been first day of airing! it caught my attention thats why i wrote about it in the blog immediately.
there's another coke ad there, asi taulava's tv spot. http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/2008/04/asi-taulava-diuretic-errr-coca-cola-tv_02.html
will be posting in the WAWAM! blog soon about this ad.
may i please ask your permission to borrow some of your pictures in this blog and flicker? would like to use it in WAWAM!
thanks so much for being gracious.
Yes, please you may use the photos. Thanks again for taking interest on this ad.
Hey guys Im so amazed because of your interests...me too Im really impressed of the talent and modern technology, and most of all, human power and knowledge to create or produce such wonderful TV advertisement...
But there's a question I just wanna ask, if this commercial is being aired in Thailand and in the others parts of the world, is the Philippine song "Ang Sarap Dito" the same song used whenever it is aired in different countries? just curious...thanks!
Hi Acel, thank you.
This commercial isn't being aired in Thailand, only here in the Philippines.
But let's hope that this gets aired in other countries or if not, that the idea of otherworldy beings joining the human world because of Coke is adapted in other countries :)
Thank u so much...but "SAYANG NAMAN KUNG GANUN" still I'll hope and pray that ur TV ads, not just this one, but the ads from u in the future would be shown in the world and be successful then comes the countless awards (what an ambition! but who knows?). Anyways thank you so much Coke Angel and a very big CONGRATULATIONS to you and ur company for producing "creating" such outstanding and astonishing TV Advertisement the world ever had...God bless and more power to you!
You have an awesome post, She really like an Angel. And you're in advertising as you've said. Do you have other blog beside this one?
Hi Acel, thanks again. Let's do hope a Filipino ad gets to go global. We're all into this. I hope clients get to read reactions such as yours so they'll consider even better TV commercials in the future.
Hi Filipina, thanks! Yeah, she's an angel, really, even in person.
Yeah, I have another blogsite but that's just silly stuff, not fun to read :)
Not as fun as here. Ang Sarap Dito :)
hi there! just want to let u know i soooooo love the commercial! haha, lagi ko nga pinapanood sa u tube eh...
eneweiz, i was wonderin if where did u get benjamin tang's pix? he is soooo hot talaga!
great work and hope ma-aired din ito in other countries!
Hi Anonymous, many thanks, let's hope so that Angel flies to other countries :)
Reagrding your question about Benjamin, well I was there with him during the shoot that's why I have his photos :)
I just recently moved to the Philippines and the other day was the first time I saw your commercial. I absolutely love it! I love the song too, it's quite catchy. I'm always caught singing it at home and the lyrics are the only Tagalog words I know =) I love the idea, the concept -- I just love it all. And I think Michelle Dantes is so beautiful =)
Hi Gian Carla,
Many, many thanks! And welcome to the Philippines. Quite funny that the only Tagalog words you know as of now are from this commercial :)
I hope this TV ad will mirror your move to the Phillipines, that you'll one day tell yourself, "ang sarap dito." :)
Cheers!
Hi! Got here via Theboyfromsmallville. Just wanted to say this commercial rocks! The idea of an angel and a devil giving up the life they used to know for a taste of Coke is very simple yet very effective in conveying what Coke is really about. I remember my advertising professor in college saying one of the marks of a good advertisement is when other people wish they had thought of the same idea first. I'm sure a lot of people wish they did, me included. Hehe. Good job!
Hello there! I so love this commercial, and especially the song! It totally helped on cementing the aura of the ad.
I absolutely love the "remix" (now that i know it IS A remix) of the song. To be totally honest i am not satisfied with the original (although i respect the Project 1 members as they are icons here in the Philippines) and i've been desperately finding where i could get the full song of the one that appeared in the advertisement itself.
Did Song Zu remix the whole song or just a part of it? coz i'll be SO willing to see it legally sold and purchase it in any forms if ever it gets released may it be in legit digital download or just a CD with all the versions in it. I know many people around here are willing to do same and have been searching the Advertisement Version of the "Ang Sarap Dito" song.
Nonetheless, great job on the advertisement guys. It's so perfect. (Well it would be COMPLETELY perfect if the Advertisement Version is in complete form and is legally sold here! Haha. Persistent am i not? XD )
Hi Rizza!
Thanks so much! It's quite overwhelming sometimes when I read through the comments. As I posted in the other blog, advertising is such a thankless job and when something like this happens, it's magic. Thanks again!
Hi Mopz,
Again, thanks. I really don't know if Song Zu proceeded to remix the full version of the song even without Coca-Cola's permission. If they did, I'm sure they won't release it, for obvious reasons.
I've read through many, many comments of people wanting a full remix version. I guess until Coca-Cola gives a greenlight on it, there isn't much we can do about it :(
The only option left, I guess, is for people to start writing to Coca-Cola to have a full version of this remix.
You may want to start the ball rolling? Gather up friends and write to Coke? ;)
I would be willing to! The question is where do we exactly voice our opinions? I don't know who i would or how i can have contact with Coke. Any ideas of e-mail addresses and stuff?. :( I really want the full remix released somewhere, legally as much as possible.
Hi Mopz,
You really want the song THAT BAD, huh? :)
Okay, I cannot possibly give personal e-mail addresses of our Coca-Cola clients as this will result in our agency getting fired, haha! :)
But here's a link where you can write to the Coca-Cola Headquarters in Atlanta (http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/contactus/index.html).
If you can gather enough people to write (and please write to them nicely, okay?) and introduce yourselves as Coke loyalists who are in dire need of the song and identify yourselves as Filipinos (mind you, Pinoys are one of the world's top Coca-Cola guzzlers so I'm sure they'll hear you out), they might take notice.
It's a long shot, of course but just try :)
Oh, and since Coca-Cola is such a huge global company, you might want to give them a background on this commercial (point them to the YouTube link) as there's a possibility they (Coke Headquarters) haven't even heard of the Coke Angel TV ad yet.
As the Coca-Cola agency, we could have done this ourselves but it would be more convincing for them if you, the actual Coke drinkers, write to them.
Your voices are much, much more powerful. And in the first place, ads such as these are done FOR YOU.
So good luck and keep me posted :)
So i was brainstorming for some sort of an initial draft of something to send Coca Cola and i was wondering can Project 1 have a say regarding the release of the remix version? I mean, it is their song anyway or does the remix version Coca Cola property now?.
Coz i was thinking if Project 1 can have a voice in this the process would be much more "easier" with Project 1 members being all around the Philippines and all.
Hey Mopz,
Frankly, Project 1 won't be much of a help. First, their song is already heavily used in this TV ad so I guess it's Coke's property by now. And second, they would probably find it hard to support you since it's tantamount to admitting the remixxed version is better than their own creation :)
Best of luck! :)
Hello there! Like all these people above, I really really love this Coke ad. I adore the people behind it. It made me wonder if this was done by a pinoy and what agency. I am so excited to find out that yeah, it's pinoy made (the concept). :) Continue inspiring people. May I ask what other ads have you guys made?
Hi Kat!
Thanks! Yup, this is 100% Pinoy made in terms of ideation and concept.
The actual shooting and CGI, however, was done in Thailand.
As for the ad agency behind this ad, let's just it's the biggest ad agency in the Philippines ;)
McCann is it? :)
And may I know from what part of department are you in making this ad? really love it. :)
Excellent job on this coke ad and best of luck on future projects!! Absolutely love the choice of casting Michelle Dantes for the role of The Angel. I've heard there is a girl here in the philippines that looks like Michelle Dantes... the girl is the girlfriend of a basketball player out here of spanish origin... I'm curious to know how much of a look a-like she is :)
Thanks! Haven't heard of that Michelle Dantes lookalike :)
I just hope she's a Coke drinker :)
hello! uhmm, do you know any of benjamin tang's site where i can see his pictures and other stuffs? because i can't find him on the internet. thank you!
Coke Angel was the BEST of all the Coke ad that I've seen. At first, I thought it was a foreign ad and only used Project 1 song to make it localized, but guess what, I'm wrong and I'm glad that I'm wrong 'coz its 100% Pinoy made. The remix song was already on my phone as my ringtone, he he he. Sarap.!
Thanks, Clark! Yup, proudly Philippine-made!
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