Johnnie Walker mixes F1 and fighter jets in new drive

by Beth McLoughlin, Brand Republic 02-Oct-06, 08:45

LONDON - Two fighter jets streak across an open sky against a setting sun in a mock dogfight as one twists, the pilot looking desperately around him, before escaping the sights of the other in a new international television campaign for Johnnie Walker whiskey.

After disengaging, the fighter touches down on the deck of an aircraft carrier and immediately turns into a Formula 1 race car. The spot, created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, focuses on the Diageo-owned brand's sponsorship of the Team McLaren Mercedes F1 racing team.

The F1 car races down the length of the carrier before executing a 180-degree spin to a halt as driver Kimi Raikkonen gets out of the race car, takes off his helmet and keeps walking past his admirers.

A voiceover announces: "In a dog fight, a pilot experiences up to five Gs for over one minute. An F1 driver experiences up to five Gs for over one hour."

The ad, called "dogfight", was directed by Michael Geoghegan of the Pink Film Company and edited by Leo King of Cut+Run.

The shoot was veiled in secrecy and took place on an unnamed aircraft carrier in an undisclosed location.

King said: "On set, we collaborated closely with both the director and the visual effects supervisor, experiencing the excitement of the production process all the while working out the edit. The ultimate goal -- creating an edit that brings the director's vision to life -- is the same no matter where you edit, but on-location cutting places you in the thick of the action, which is exciting and offers everyone the advantages of seeing it come together in one place.

"The unique nature of the location made it all the more exhilarating. The production company was only allowed to shoot in certain directions because it is a military craft, which added a level of intrigue."

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