All Hail the Everyman (and Woman)
Have you ever been watching something and wondered ‘Where do I know that guy from?’
I don’t mean in a film or a TV show. I mean in a commercial. It’s a passing, but nagging feeling. Sometimes it’s the lead, sometimes an extra. ‘Who is that guy?’ You look around the room, but no one else — the second-hand cat, the dying pot plants, the ghosts of friends you once had — seem to have noticed.
But you’ve seen it. You’ve seen something they haven’t. That person, you know them. You just don’t know how.
This is something that happens to me daily, often more than once.
My job’s a little different, I’ll give you that. I have to scan through countless films, TV shows, music promos and commercials. I don’t mean watching. I mean crawling the videos, stacks of DVDs and magazines looking for features that I hope will help build a character, a look or an emotion.
Sometimes it’s for a mother realising her husband isn’t quite the man she fell in love with. Sometimes it’s just a dog that’s sad about Christmas. And although I’ve tried, you just can’t find everything you need in Tiptoes.
Tiny moments in an individual’s performance can inform the way you write a director’s casting and performance brief. After exposing yourself to thousands of commercials though, you begin to realise you’ve seen a few of these faces before.
Of course, we see the same players popping up in film and television all the time. They’re stars or supporting actors that are magnetic, compelling and versatile. Or they’re Bradley Cooper… But commercials, by their very nature, seem to feature a vastly different breed of professional and non-professional talent. These are actors who we enjoy seeing in the same thing dozens of times, yet never pay them much attention and never know them by name.
‘Isn’t that strange?’ I ask the room, my voice bouncing off the empty walls. The cat looks up from licking her pooch, a flicker of interest across an ocean of indifference.
Somebody needs an example…
This is Colin Michael Carmichael. He’s Zeus, by the way.
This is also Colin Michael Carmichael…
Belvita ‘Ed’s Morning Win’ — Director: D.A.D.D.Y, Production Company: 1st Avenue Machine
And this…
Seat Leon ‘Your Day’ — Director: Sebastien Grousset, Production Company: Gang Films
And there…
Meteor ‘HQ’ — Director: Chris Balmond, Production Company: Station Film
He’s in that one too…
DHKT ‘Das Handwerk’ — Director: Peter Thwaites, Production Company: Gorgeous
And these…
Carling ‘Belong’ Campaign — Director: Fredrik Bond, Production Company: Sonny
This…
Sierra Mist ‘Aztecs’ — Director: Jim Hosking, Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
And those…
118 Launch Campaign — Director: Jim Hosking, Production Company: Partizan
Remember those? How about this?
BBC Three ‘Monday Proof’ — Director: Maggie Zackheim
No? Maybe something a little more recent?
Gocompare.com ‘Mick & Mike’ — Directors: Olly Williams and Mat Kirkby, Production Companies: Another Film Company and RSA
Ok, I think you get my point. You can just see what an actor like Colin brings to a role, especially when they’re an eccentric character. He’s magic and, to a certain extent, part of UK pop culture itself. Yet, even though he’s rarely been off our screens for more than a decade, there are millions out there who haven’t a clue who he is.
Collecting commercial actors like Colin has become something of a hobby of mine. I have a deep appreciation for them. They help me understand onscreen charisma and presence in ways that few are interested in studying, but are drawn to nonetheless.
Here’s another example for you: Marilyn O’Brien. Her name ring a bell? Perhaps not. Here are some of my favourite commercials she’s been in over the years:
Barclays ‘Coin Spin’ — Director: Arno Salters, Production Company: Stink Films
Dulux ‘Boudoir’ — Director: Paul Gay, Production Company: Wasp Face
She’s great, right? You can totally see why Marilyn is an easy casting choice. She has buckets of charisma, natural comedic sensibilities and a fantastically expressive face.
Tesco ‘You won’t need to’ — Director: Christian Bevilacqua, Production Company: Stink Films
Weetabix ‘Morning in Reverse’ — Director: Joachim Back, Production Company: Park Pictures
Marilyn brings an undeniable warmth and relatability to the screen. It might seem effortless, but creating characters the audience reads as familiar, can identify with and aspire to takes real skill. It’s that approachable nature, on top of being photogenic, that makes talent like Marilyn a casting director’s dream. Can you tell I’m kinda in love with her..?
Mr Kipling ‘Slideshow’ Director: Ric Cantor, Production Company: Hungryman
It’s nice that I’ve noticed this and they’re are great examples, I hear you say, but what’s the big deal?
Aha! You see, what makes these discoveries so special is how they’re difficult to make in the first place.
It’s really easy to identify someone when you spot them in a film or on TV. You just wait for the credits or look the thing up on IMDB. When it comes to commercials, however, actors are almost always left off the industry credits, even when they’re a named character.
Don’t take my word for it. Think of a commercial you’ve seen recently and Google it. See if you can find the cast list. Go ahead. I’ll wait…
Can’t think of one? Let me tee a couple up for you. Take a look at the male co-star in these two spots and the female lead in the others. They’re worth checking out anyway as they’re just brilliant. Go on!
Florette ‘The Joy of Salad’ — Director: Simon Willows, Production Company: Blinkink
Weetabix ‘Dad’s Day Out’ — Director: Frank Todaro, Production Company: Moxie Pictures
Ikea ‘Novelties that Bring Novelties’ — Director: Pep Bosch, Production Company: Goodoil Films
Rightmove ‘My Dream Home’ — Director: Dawn Shadforth, Production Company: Somesuch
Any luck figuring out where they are?
Campaign? No. Shots? Nope. Creativity / AdAge? Nuhuh. The Drum, Adweek, Adforum, David Reviews? No, ma’am. Surely, the agency site lists all the credits. Hah! You’ll have more luck finding who did the catering.
Well, they’re Marcus Garvey and Cara Horgan. You’d probably realise you knew them all along if you recall Peep Show, Four Lions, Broadchurch or The Death of Stalin.
TANGENT: I discover on Marcus’s IMDB profile that he’s the younger brother of Guy Garvey, lead singer of Elbow. I wonder, for a moment, if this bit of trivia bothers him as much as it does me. Like, he looks at it and thinks ‘Why’d they put that there?’ Elbow! Of all the luck… I dunno. Maybe he thinks his brother’s music is cool. Maybe he hears what everyone else who listens to 6 Music hears: a rough sawn soul of England. Who cares if all I hear is Papa down the well? Whatever. It’s subjective. I think you’re cool, Marcus.
It seems a TV or film star as a lead, cameo or voiceover might get a look-in, but everyone else just doesn’t make the cut.
So, the question is why not? The answer could be a simple one.
From the actor’s point of view, there could be a stigma associated with doing commercial work, like it’s a step down from ‘real acting’ or a guilty paycheck. I don’t quite buy that though. Perhaps being known for commercials could be annoying — flashes of idiots yelling ‘Got your number!’ at Colin for years — or could mean they get less work. Overexposure in one market or another can be a thing. Maybe it’s best to fly under the radar? In that case, this article is probably doing more harm than good. S**t.
From an agency / brand point of view, you could imagine that they want to protect their property, keeping the talent they use hidden from rivals. That can’t be the reason though, can it? I think it’s more likely to be a combination of long-established oversight and a reluctance to recognise what performers bring to a production.
I was surprised, after a scan of the Clio Awards, Cannes Lions, Emmy’s and other industry awards, that there wasn’t a single category for ‘Best Comedic Performance in X’ or ‘Best Ensemble in Y’. Are no actors ever recognised for their work in advertising? I appreciate how brief appearances and complicated some productions can be, but really?
A quick search leads you to a site for The Commercial Actors Awards, but at the time of writing it’s still looking for sponsors to help get it off the ground. I think that’s a real shame.
Minimizing people’s contribution sucks. Directors know it takes more than ‘1 x Quirky Buddy Type’ to bring a story to life. Or ‘3 x Mums of Mixed Ethnicity’ to make it memorable. As an audience, I think it’s about time we recognise that too.
So, I see you, Colin. I dig what all you Marilyn, Marcus and Cara’s out there are doing, sweet Unsung Heroes of Advertising. Hopefully, after this, a few more will too.
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Ross Olivey is a Development Consultant at the creative development studio In Development.
