Publicis Seattle and T-Mobile recently launched the very funny “Binge On” ad campaign featuring Breaking Bad actor and super nice guy Aaron Paul. Jason Lucas, Executive Creative Director at Publicis Seattle, was also nice enough to answer a few questions from AdForum's James Thompson about the campaign.
AdForum: It is much more difficult to create advertising for an intangible service such as streaming video than it is for tangible products, like a designer watch, that people can actually hold and see. When creating this ad campaign, what aspects of the T-Mobile streaming services did Publicis Seattle want to focus on, and why?
Jason Lucas: People are always on their phones, and more and more of that time is now spent watching video. Binge On from T-Mobile gives people the ability to stream their favorite shows without burning up all their data. Fortunately, everyone already understands what 'streaming video on your phone' means, so we didn't have to explain the mechanics of a new product – we just needed to tell people that T-Mobile had opened the floodgates.
AdForum: The “Binge Watchers Anonymous” idea is fantastic and engaging. How did the creative process lead to this concept, and at want point did bringing in Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad enter the conversation?
Jason Lucas: Thank you. Well, it made us laugh thinking about going beyond simply describing Binge On and how much customers could enjoy it, and instead, taking it to its less obvious end – rampant overuse. Once we went there, the next logical step was treatment for that bingeing. We needed someone who could lead our group of TV addicts and bring an edge to the room. All of us are fans of “Breaking Bad,” and Aaron Paul's personae aligns perfectly with T-Mobile's Un-Carrier brand.
AdForum: The “Binge On” T-Mobile campaign is hilarious. How important is having a sense of humor to the creative culture at Publicis Seattle, how difficult is it to be funny in advertising, and who is the funniest person at your agency?
Jason Lucas: Humor is very important to the culture at Publicis Seattle. The person who best demonstrates that sense of humor is our very own Director of Business Affairs. No matter what crazy ideas the creative teams at Publicis Seattle come up with, she has to walk a variety of lawyers and clearance folks through our out-of-the-box thoughts with a straight face and under extreme deadlines. I think some of the best comedy comes directly from the transcripts of her phone calls.