Prodigy director Dael Oates ‘Made to Measure’ for Herringbone’s latest in-store and online films
Prodigy director Dael Oates has just completed a 90-second in-store and 60-second online commercial titled ‘Made to Measure’ for client Herringbone/Van lack.
Shot direct for the client, ‘Made to Measure’ saw Oates work alongside freelance producer Marge Mcinnes and director of photography Peter Eastgate.
The uniquely crafted campaign aims to highlight the fashion brand’s exclusively tailored, made-to-measure suit range and has launched globally this week in Van lack stores across Europe and Australia.
“Peter and I have a long standing collaboration and we compliment each others’ style well,” says Oates. “This was a project that we took on together for the love and to explore a visual language that we have been experimenting with in our photography,” he adds.
The film opens on a mid shot of a man wearing a black suit standing on an unseen tightrope high in an unknown city. It cuts back to him receiving and trying on a perfectly tailored suit in his hotel room and leads the viewer into the story of how he arrives on a tightrope amidst city skyscrapers.
“To conceptually represent the idea of ‘perfectly balanced tailoring’ the image of a man standing on a tightrope is a fantastic visual metaphor, plus it works incredibly well for the Herringbone brand,” explains Oates. “Once the idea of the tightrope was sold in, we worked collaboratively on the way we would unfold the story,” he says.
The director’s vision was to create ‘the dream’ sequence of walking on a tightrope, moving away from any literal interpretation: “We wanted this to be a think piece, a sensory experience and one that the viewer can be immersed in – to float through as they would in a dream.”
Herringbone creative director Carina Hicks believes the tightrope metaphor was a perfect visual springboard for the film. “We just loved how the idea encapsulates precision, balance and elegance,” Hicks says. “These are all things important to Herringbone’s ethos in its own tailoring and Dael, Pete and their team pulled off an amazing and unexpected piece of film,” she adds.
Director – Dael Oates
Producer – Marge Mcinnes
DoP – Peter Eastgate
Production Company – Prodigy
Editor – Adam Wills
Grading and FX – Fin
Original Music Score – Silencio
Herringbone Creative Consultant – Carina Hicks
Client – Herringbone/Van lack
20 Comments
Nice work. Beautifully shot.
Who needs storytelling when there’s a visual pun to be had? That anyone could summon the energy to make this for Herringbone after the work Oliver Devaris and Graham Johnson did with Garth Davis a couple of years ago is the real story here.
Mmmm but not in a Homer Simpson kind of way
Very nice spot..and wonderfully crafted..I like it!
Direct to client again.
I think you spelt Dale wrong.
There’s more style in the suit than there is in these spots. What happened to Oates trademark look and creativity? This looks like it could have been shot by any one of 20 director/DOP teams.
Funny you should mention Homer Simpson, Andrew. My first thought was Mr Plow.
On the symbolism of the tightrope walker, this from Tom Carty for The Economist is heaps less ponderous, and as a result, allot more interesting on any number of levels.
http://www.themill.com/work/economist-red-wires.aspx
Herringbone is clothing after all, not really a product that lends itself easily to the dark brooding seriousness that this film wants to suggest, and as Barack @12:11 points out, Oliver and Graham at M&C, along with Garth understood that, and they kept it whimsical, and narrative, and what they created collectively is memorable.
A talented advertising creative, or two would have no doubt made a meaningful contribution to this work as well, perhaps even coming up with an idea beyond the simply visual.
No idea except a pun….and what is perfectly balanced tailoring?
straight into nothingness…how still will stand out online is beyond me.
From one director to another – Beautifully mysterious and wonderfully crafted. I feel inspired!
Devaris and Johnson nailed Herringbone with ‘Small Hands’. This is an embarrassing follow up to that.
Prodigy is not doing Dael ANY favours by PRing this.
You’re not busy enough Raphael
2:49. I reckon 95% of the stuff here should not be PRed! Dale should not get special treatment..I quite like that spot!
Get an agency.
Way to take what was an interesting brand that always sold a product benefit in an interesting way and make it me too fashion dross. This could be any shitty fashion brand. What is perfectly balanced tailoring? According to this, it’s a suit that helps you stay balanced.
This is appalling work that has cheapened what was a great intelligent brand. Really sad.
Oh right? Because I always look for ‘perfectly balanced’ tailoring.
that sucks, no idea.
Ease up on Dael, after all he wasn’t the Herringbone Creative Consultant