Alcohol advertising clichés are humorous. So is the process of making advertising.

Circus, MediaMonks and The Maestros’ director, Rodrigo Valdés, have combined these two eccentricities of popular culture into one satirical commercial for Ojo de Tigre – an epic, cinematic, cliché ridden 3.15 minute film that ultimately strips down to become a single product shot on a “crappy’ white background. Of course, satirical adverts and industry satires are possibly also clichés, but this one, about a director pitching his vision for the next Ojo de Tigre commercial, is magnificently done.

The spot stars the co-founder of the mezcal brand, actor and producer, Luis Gerardo Méndez. (Is that not also industry humour?) 

After previously collaborating with Luis Gerardo Méndez, Valdés was approached directly to work again with the actor and agency, Circus. Valdés was presented with the idea of a director ‘pitching’ a commercial for Ojo de Tigre – complete with all the possible cliches of the genre – but he looked beyond the traditional commercial and instead created a narrative-focused short which draws viewers into the comedic story. 

To illustrate the dialogue between the two men, Valdés combined verbal interpretations of the director’s “suggestions” with the chaotic and abrupt changes that would result. The blend of genres and tones in the “recreation” scenes adds to the richness of the spot making it funnier than a “boardroom scene” and allowing the film to embed the brand in its world of mezcal, Oaxaca and modern Mexicanity. 

Valdés commented,“There was a great dynamic between Luis, Dauquen (Chabeldín, ECD), and myself. The collaboration was open and free, and we pushed each other to keep the idea simple, but also not to censor the way we were telling the jokes. Luis is one of my favourite actors; he has incredible comic timing and is very efficient, making sure we recorded as many options as possible on camera. He dares to try and always pushes for more – he’s always creating.”

Credits:

Agencies: Circus & MediaMonks
ECD: Dauquen Chabeldín
Managing Director: Sergio Escamilla
Creative Director: Luis Ávila
Creative Team: Sofi Lopez, Diana Haro, Tatiana Rico & Ross Avila
Head Of Art: Iker Basauri

COO: Ignacio Liaudat
Head of Account Management: María Ferreiro
Project Manager: Aldo Cárdenas
Production Head: Maia Liaudat
Agency Producer: Jessie Howard

Production Company: The Maestros
Director: Rodrigo Valdes
DOP: Kenji Katori
Production Head: Gerardo Salas
Executive Producer: Ana Paula Suarez Muguiro
Online Producer: Erick Tamayo
Assistant Director: Rodrigo Urbano
Production Designer: Pol Agusti
Costume Designer: Almudena Suarez
Makeup: Chela Olea
Gaffer: Rafael Mejia
Location Manager: Franco de la Lanza
Casting: Isabel Cortazar

Editor: Emmanuel Rivas
Post-Production Coordinator: Nathalia Rodriguez.
Post-Producer: Luis Fernando Torres
Music: Pablo Chemor
Audio Studio: Kung Fu