Drive Thru Seats Canines Behind the Wheel in Subaru Ad Campaign

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Press Release from Drive Thru

Minneapolis, MN - Drive Thru [1], a full-service production and digital post production house, recently partnered with ad agency Carmichael Lynch and production company harvest to deliver four clever Subaru spots [2] that conceptualize outdoor activities dogs might enjoy if they owned a Subaru, in addition to a "behind-the-scenes" video directed by "Ziggy" the dog. All four spots, directed by the Hoffman Brothers, mark Drive Thru's third consecutive year contributing post production to Subaru's ongoing "Dog Tested. Dog Approved." campaign and aired during Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl VIII [3] on Super Bowl Sunday.

"We've worked on the campaign every year since its inception, and are proud to be a part of such a successful, exceptional creative collaboration again," said Bob George, Owner of Drive Thru.

Beth Wilson, Executive Producer of Drive Thru, added, "When Carmichael approached us with the job, we were ecstatic, especially because we knew it would involve out-of-the-box creativity. It was really a joy to work with Carmichael, harvest and the Hoffman Brothers to create such a unique, alternate world where dogs engage in everyday human activities like sunbathing, skiing or playing the guitar."

Each spot follows venerable canines Kasey, Daisy, Paris, Penny and Stella as they travel by Subaru to embark on a variety of outdoor adventures. In "Camping," Stella attempts to serenade fellow canine friends on her guitar at the campfire, but her lack of talent evokes a wolf's howl - sending all of the dogs into a huddle in the Subaru, locking the car door behind them. "Ski Trip" features canine action on the slopes, but in the end, Paris the poodle is left frozen in fear atop a black diamond slope as the canine crew heads home in the Subaru without her. After a day at the beach surfing, picnicking, sunbathing and more, the dogs drive away in their Subaru in "Beach." "Jackknife" exposes Kasey's poor driving skills to the pack as he tries to gently back the canoe into the lake, eventually crashing, even with direction from Daisy and Stella.

Mick Uzendoski, Creative Offline Editor of Drive Thru, shared, "Creating a real story and giving these dogs believable human movements that were consistent with looks from previous years proved to be a tremendous challenge, especially considering tight deadlines and environmental factors. We had to sift through thousands of shots to build a cohesive story that would really convey the dog's perspectives. Once we framed the stories, it was a matter of putting the final humanizing touches on the dogs and editing around the occasional cameraman or dog trainer in the shot."

Assisting as an additional DP on the initial shoot in California last December, Uzendoski collaborated with Carmichael and the Hoffman Brothers on set to anticipate camera reflections and ensure there were a variety of angles to help the Drive Thru team in post. To capture a wide range of footage for selection, the production team shot the five dogs with three different Panasonic P2 cameras. The Drive Thru team then culled the footage and completed a significant amount of rig removal and editorial finishing, online and offline. They tapped their Apple Final Cut Pro, Autodesk Smoke and Autodesk Flame to edit, finish and deliver all of the spots and "behind-the-scenes" video for the web and broadcast in two weeks.

About Drive Thru
Drive Thru is a full-service production and digital post house specializing in creative editorial and visual effects for commercial projects throughout the Midwest and beyond. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Drive Thru has a reputation for high quality work built over nearly 25 years of partnerships with top ad agencies in the region. Founded in 1985, Drive Thru is led by partners Mark Setterholm and Bob George. Drive Thru is equipped with state-of-the-art tools, including the latest in 3D technology, and maintains a talented roster of artists working in a boutique environment to provide the highest standard of creative editorial, visual effects, color correction by CO3 virtual and finishing services. For more information, call 612-338-4656 or visit www.drivethrutv.com [1].

Project Credits

Agency: Carmichael Lynch
Executive Creative Director: Randy Hughes
Associate Creative Director: Ellie Anderson
Associate Creative Director: Michael Rogers
Group Creative Director: Brock Davis
Director of Integrated Services: Joe Grundhoefer
Senior Integrated Producer: Freddie Richards

Production Company: harvest
Directors: The Hoffman Brothers
Executive Producer: Bonnie Goldfarb
Executive Producer: Rob Sexton
Producer: Billy Jones

Editorial Company: Drive Thru Editorial
Offline Editor: Mick Uzendoski
Assistant Editor: Nick Miller
Smoke/Online Artist: Derek Johnson
Flame Artist: Bob George
Executive Producer: Beth Wilson
Assistant Producer: Zack Whitley

Audio: BWN
Mixer: Carl White
Producer: Annie Sparrows