Mouse-killing bait brand, Tomcat, reckons it kills up to 12 mice faster than its competitor. That could have become a really boring ad.
But its new agency Barton F. Graf 9000 had other ideas. Really, really wild other ideas. To demonstrate how effective Tomcat is, the campaign asks, “What will we do with all of these dead mice?”
And as an answer, it presents, Dead Mouse Theatre. Yep, the three ads in the campaign are little plays, using dead mice “puppets” manipulated by human hands, with ridiculous character voices and silly plots.
In Fitzy Gibbons, a washed up baseball player is greeted by a fan. He relives the most embarrassing moment of his career and when he is reminded, “This will haunt him for the rest of his days,” he dies.
In Vikings, two former childhood pals find themselves in opposing armies. When one is about to pillage his friend’s town, his mate objects, “But we went to summer camp together.” The marauding mouse, replies, “Summer camp is over,” and clocks him on the head.
The third ad is Leprechaun.
The tagline, enhanced in the ads by a gruesome cat screech, is, “Tomcat. Engineered to kill.”
Creative credits:
Client: Tomcat – Scotts Miracle-Gro
Agency: Barton F. Graf 9000, New York
Chief creative officer/founder: Gerry Graf
Executive creative directors/partners: Scott Vitrone & Ian Reichenthal
Art directors: Jerome Marucci & Ross Fletcher
Copywriters: Steve McElligott, Nick Kaplan & Mark Bielik
Production company: Rattling Stick
Director: Ringan Ledwidge
Executive producer: Joe Biggins
Editing: Work Editorial Inc.
Post production: The Mill
Music: Butter
