xtcian: dog runs secondary break, film at 11

September 16, 2009

dog runs secondary break, film at 11

9/16/09

Okay, so nobody liked my movie from yesterday? FINE. Let's try another, this time a commercial from AT&T featuring Lucy's favorite human being not in our family, Tyler Hansborough:

I mean, COME ON, HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?

Points of interest:

:01 - All shot in Chapel Hill, I believe. The flyer mentions Poplar St., which is in Carrboro, but since Tyler is from Poplar Bluffs, Missouri...

:08 - guy texting at a information board (set up by the producers, not actually there) just to the side of Old West Dorm. South Building in the background, with Playmakers visible behind stop sign (also probably fake). See here

:11 - and there's Tyler with "friends" at Time-Out! At first I thought it was Sutton's, but upon closer inspection, I smelled the chicken bones. Note local girl looking straight at the camera.

:14 - if they actually did all shots in Chapel Hill, I believe that's the 2nd floor of Chi Omega. Ask me how I know.

:15 - fakest shot of the whole commercial. At first glance looks like Dook, but since they Photoshopped the trademark "five bars" motif into the background, I think it's the church by the Morehead building, copied and enlarged five times. Notice the sloppy Photoshop job on the roof tiles.

:17 - girl is walking towards downtown, on the school side of Franklin Street, right in front of the President's House. The sign for Battle Lane is obscured behind her, as is our house at Club 510, where Salem and I GOT ALL OF YOU DRUNK. See here for bird's-eye view.

:21 - Tyler: "We found the dog? FUCK YEAH!"

:25 - here's your inside joke, Carolina fans! The house number reads 112, and they're at the Chi O house on Franklin - and 112 Franklin Street is actually He's Not Here. The reverse angle on the next shot shows that weird little stone house on the corner of Franklin and Hillsborough.

:27 - That's our guy! Love the "Basketball" shirt. Kind of like those sweatshirts that say "COLLEGE".

Best part about this ad? It's totally believable. I really do think Tyler Hansborough could find Lucy's dog for her. Huzzah!

Posted by Ian Williams at September 16, 2009 11:26 PM

Comments

Posted by: Killian at September 17, 2009 2:59 AM

FABULOUS!!!!!!

Posted by: Salem's Little Sister at September 17, 2009 4:13 AM

It is absolutely the Chi-O house! Notice the lined up owls behind Tyler on the porch. The owl is our symbol! Now why would they pick the ugliest house in Chapel Hill for that scene? And I can say that because I was a UNC Chi O.

Posted by: kate at September 17, 2009 6:30 AM

Nice call on the church in :15. It's most definitely Chapel of the Cross.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/2008-07-11_Chapel_of_the_Cross.jpg

Fantastic commercial!

Posted by: Anne at September 17, 2009 8:04 AM

Too much UNC insider stuff for me to appreciate, but I do love that commercial and am glad to have some background on it. :-) I love ads that tell an actual story.

Posted by: Ian at September 17, 2009 8:36 AM

Okay, Lucy just made me play this for the twelfth time, and she STILL can't see the ending without blushing, hiding under my arm, or running out of the room. This video proves EVERYTHING SHE HAS LONG SUSPECTED about him.

Posted by: CM at September 17, 2009 9:22 AM

I would like. you
to.
suck
myballs.

Posted by: Rebecca at September 17, 2009 9:59 AM

My only complaint is that the dog is named Sarah. That's my daughter's name! Otherwise, it's awesome, and brought tears to my eyes. God, I'm a sap!

Posted by: kjf at September 17, 2009 10:26 AM

do you ever wonder what you will do if lucy decides NOT to go to carolina? (not that i think that will happen, but i'm just sayin')

Posted by: josie at September 17, 2009 11:36 AM

Lucy's crush on TH is ADORABLE. And, a little remarkable too. Watch out for her, Daddo! Those girls are smart....

Posted by: MarkC at September 17, 2009 11:46 AM

I thought I had it bad for Chapel Hill, but Ian, I am in awe of your frame by frame breakdown, nice work

Posted by: Neva at September 17, 2009 1:16 PM

I live in CH and didn't recognize any of that the first time. I'm impressed.

Posted by: emma at September 17, 2009 4:38 PM

I can't see this one either. What is wrong with my computer.

Posted by: Zel M. at September 17, 2009 7:09 PM

Thanks for clearing this up for me. I thought it was Chapel Hill, but the Chapel of the Cross thing threw me.

Not that you needed independent confirmation of the friends eating at Time Out, but at :10 if you look above the hood on the guy on the left, you can make out a time out gesture in the picture on the booth. And is that Andy Katz hanging out with Tyler and the boys?

Also, at :25 there is a nice touch with the bars motif with the pottery on the Chi O porch.

Posted by: ms four at September 18, 2009 12:23 AM

I showed the commercial to my husband, and he asked me if I cried when I watched it. "Tyler Hansbrough and a dog in one place? How can you take it?!"

Posted by: ms four at September 18, 2009 12:26 AM

And here's the conversation inspired by this commercial:

4 year old: "Is Dook bad, Mommy?"
Me: "Yes, Dook is bad, in basketball."
4 year old: "Why are they bad, Mommy?"
Me: "Uh, because they are Republicans."

Posted by: Gary at September 30, 2009 9:54 PM

Thanks for the analysis of the commercial. I spent 11 years in Chapel Hill but still completely missed the AT&T bars on the Chapel of the Cross walkway until you pointed them out. I was betting I could find more. Check out the stack of cups at 0:11. They mostly cropped them out of the picture, but they are unmistakably AT&T!

Gary - now in Atlanta - UNC 1974