HOLLYWOOD VIDEO | DON | 1999
That Voice Came Out From Under the Video Store Counter / HOLLYWOOD VIDEO "DON"
That movie-trailer voice crawls out from under the counter at a video rental store. One ad from Hollywood Video, 1999.
The problem
At the time, Hollywood Video was the fast-growing #2 video rental chain in the US, chasing Blockbuster. Through its "Welcome to Hollywood" campaign, it was even giving its stores a Hollywood-style makeover.
The idea
The legendary voice behind movie trailer narration, Don LaFontaine himself, is hiding under the counter. When the store clerk calls out, "Don, a little help," he crawls out and delivers trailer-style narration, straight out of the Good Will Hunting trailer, to a couple who can't decide what to rent.
What happened
The ad won GOLD.
Afterthought
The idea of hiding that voice under the counter is just brilliant. It's a classic one-joke ad from Cliff Freeman & Partners that makes any movie lover grin.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 1999
