Get stuffed: Tua, taxidermy and TBWA
With all this talk of The Feelers and uninspiring marketing campaigns for the Rugby World Cup, it’s good to see some creative, interesting and slightly more challenging event promotion work from the folks at TBWA\Whybin\Tequila for the big dust-up between David Tua and Friday ‘The Thirteenth’ Ahunanya tonight.
Particularly weird and creepy is ‘The Taxidermist’ (for anyone who finds stuffed animals hilarious, StopPress highly recommends the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists). Amy Thexton, a creative at TBWA\Tequlia says the promo came about after the agency was approached by Duco Events, the company organising the Tua fight. They wanted some promotion in return for a few fight tickets, so Thexton and her creative counterpart Jess Neale wrote a viral clip about a taxidermist who was going to trophy mount the head of the loser in the upcoming fight.
“Boxing is a brutal sport, but also a beautiful one in many respects,” Thexton says. “Which is why we thought the taxidermy angle was somewhat fitting. It’s morbidly curious. Most people find taxidermy creepy, once you start talking about stuffing human heads you’re bound to push even more buttons.”
Being a “creative opportunity” she says they had a budget so tiny they got laughed out of everywhere by everyone in the filmmaking business, until they stumbled across Michael Reihana, a director, producer and horror movie afficionado.
“Reihana and his team were incredible. They loved the script so pulled out all the stops to turn it into a beautifully warped little film. We couldn’t have done it without him.”
And the clip will be playing on the big screen at the fight tonight, which Thexton says will be “very awesome”.
While not quite as macabre as ‘The Taxidermist’, David Tua’s fairytale also has a sinister side to it. And the posters are top notch too.
Phil Jones
May 26, 2010
I am the actor in 'The Taxidermist' promo. If anybody wants to hire me then please do get in touch :) TVC's, Promos, Movies, etc
pkpster@gmail.com
022 610 6768
Phill Jones
August 2, 2011
I have now moved to Sydney if anybody likes my work then get in touch.
Phill Jones
August 2, 2011
I have now moved to SYDNEY.
Phill Jones
August 2, 2011
Mob: 0403 698 297
Email: pkp2306@gmail.com
Phill Jones
Mike Reihana
October 3, 2011
http://www.parmco.co.nz/parmco-challenge