It took an extra long time—more than two years—for Wrigley's Extra Gum to release a follow-up its massively popular "Origami" ad, which, you may recall, told the story of a father and daughter with silvery gum-wrapper swans playing a key role.
Now, Energy BBDO and Rattling Stick director Pete Riski return with "The Story of Sarah & Juan." Their epic romance begins in high school and stretches through the tear-jerking trials and tribulations of college life and young adulthood.
Thankfully, the minty freshness of Extra is on hand at all times. Once, again, wrappers are worked into the storyline—not as smoothly as in the earlier commercial, perhaps, but the schtick is still pretty sweet. And Haley Reinhart's cover of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" on the soundtrack is either emotionally evocative or utterly distracting, depending on your personal taste.
So, why did the world have to wait so long for a sequel?
"The 'Origami' spot resonated particularly well with audiences, so we let it live on," Energy BBDO executive creative director Andrés Ordoñéz tells Adweek. "It was still working well for the business, so we didn't want to take it off air too soon."
Given the first ad's performance, was there—how shall I put this?—extra pressure on the team this time around?
"No and yes," Ordoñéz says. " 'Give Extra, get extra' is a strong creative platform to tell compelling stories, so we were excited to do it again. On the other hand, 'Origami' was so well liked, we knew we had to create something just as special."
Why go with romance?
"[It] is not about a specific relationship," Ordoñéz says, "but about all moments of connection. This time we chose to focus on a love story. The chemistry between our lead actors was so good, people were tearing up on set during the first scene on day one. We knew we had a beautiful story to share."
Just like "Origami," the new spot is designed to reduce viewers to blubbering bundles of Kleenex-covered protoplasm. While more conventional than its predecessor, "Sarah & Juan" packs a significant punch, straight to the heart.
All in all, it was probably wise to stick with a winning formula.
CREDITS
Client: Wrigley Extra
Spot: "Sarah & Juan"
Agency: Energy BBDO
Executive Creative Director: Andrés Ordoñéz
Creative Director: Pedro Pérez
Art Director: Andrés Ordoñéz, Josejuan Toledo, Jesús Díaz
Copywriter: Andrés Ordoñéz, Pedro Pérez, Sofía González
Executive Producer: John Pratt
Music Producer: Daniel Kuypers
Managing Director: Jeff Adkins
Client Service Director: Lianne Sinclair
Account Director: Erin Welsh
Senior Account Executive: Brittany Peskind
Assistant Account Executive: Katheryn Batista
Group Planning Director: Elke Anderle
Digital Strategy Director: Zach Graham
Production Company: Rattling Stick
Director: Pete Riski
Executive Producer: Joe Biggins
Producer: Tessa Mitchell
Editorial Company: Cut + Run
Editor: Eve Ashwell
Assistant Editor: Brian Meagher
Producer: Annabelle Dunbar-Whittkaker
Executive Producer: Carr Schilling
Visual Effects: The Mill
Colorist: Luke Morrison
Color Assist: Mikey Pehanich
Design Lead: Matt Darnall
Design Artist: Adrian Navarro
2D Lead: Randy McEntee
2D Artist: Michael Sarabia
Head of Production: Andrew Sommerville
Producer: Adam Battista
Production Coordinator: Grace Tober
Music: "Can't Help Falling in Love."
Vocals: Haley Reinhart
Piano: Casey Abrams
Record Label: ole Media Management L.P.
Audio: STIR Post
Audio Post: Matt Holmes
Audio Post Producer: Mindy Verson