Obsession by Calvin Klein
(1988)
Lynch's first commercials were a series of four directed for Obsession. Each one centered around
a famous author's work.
Download three of the Obsession ads:
F. Scott Fitzgerald quicktime - 1.9 mb
Ernest Hemingway quicktime - 1.8 mb
D.H. Lawrence quicktime - 1.9 mb
Georgia Coffee
(1991)
These commercials were done for the Japanese canned coffee, Georgia. The series was set in Twin Peaks
and featured many of the cast from the series. In the ads, a Japanese man searches for his missing wife. Each commercial added more clues to the mystery, until the final one where Cooper rescues her from the Black Lodge. Originally a second series of four were planned, but the Coffee company, unhappy with the first series, canceled them.
Georgia Commercial #1 1.7mb
Georgia Commercial #3 1.7mb
Georgia Commercial #4 1.8mb
We Care About New York
(1991)
This was a public service announcement created to bring attention to the city's rat problem. Frederick Elmes was the director of photography for the ad.
We Care About New York commercial quicktime 3.7mb
Who is Gio?
(1992)
Giorgio Armani personally called David Lynch to ask him to come up with something for his new perfume. Lynch sent him the description as a little poem, and Giorgio liked the concept. Lynch has said he had the most freedom on the Gio commercial than any of the others.
Gio Commercial quicktime - 9.1mb
Opium
(1992)
Commercial for Yves Saint Laurent fragrance.
Opium Commercial quicktime - 3.7mb
Asymmetrical Tag
(1991)
The tag for Asymmetrical Productions, Lynch's production company.
Asymmetrical Tag quicktime - 1mb
Dangerous Teaser
(1993)
David Lynch directed the intro for Michael Jackson's Dangerous short films collection. The teaser is
available on tape and DVD at the beginning of the "Dangerous Short Films" video.
Dangerous Teaser quicktime 2.3mb
Copyright 1993 MJJ Ventures.
Alka-Seltzer Plus
(1993)
Lynch did two commercials for Alka-Seltzer Plus.
Tresor
(1993)
A commercial for Lancome Paris
Tresor Commercial quicktime - 1.2mb
Barilla Pasta
(1993)
Gerard Depardieu plays a cafe owner who cooks Barilla pasta for a small girl, injuired while riding her bike. A woman rides by who then also falls off her scooter.
Barilla Commercial quicktime - 1.6mb
The Wall
(1993)
Commercial for Adidas.
Revealed
(1993)
Produced for the American Cancer Society. A public service announcement on breast cancer.
The Instinct of Life
(1993)
Created for Jill Sander's Background
Instinct of Life commercial quicktime - 3.7mb
Sun Moon Stars
(1994)
Staring Daryl Hannah.Created for a new perfume from Karl Lagerfield.
Sun Moon Stars (quicktime, 1.2mb)
Sun Moon Stars (avi, 670 kb)
Dead Leaves, Aunt Droid, Nuclear Winter and Rocket
(1997)
A series of four commercials created for the SciFi channel. Each one features a saying, followed by the phrase "Ever Wonder?" and the scifi channel logo.
Nuclear Winter (1311k)
Rocket (633k)
Clear Blue Easy
(1997)
Staring Marisa Parker. A series of three ads created for the ad agency Ogilvy and Mather in New York. A woman stands in her bathroom waiting for the minute to be over. Numbers on the clock face, as well as the hot and cold labels on her faucet and water drops change to yes and no.
15 sec. Clear Blue Easy commercial quicktime - 9.6mb
7/18/97 Entertainment Weekly article:
(Courtesy Cindy Ju)
David Lynch Takes a Pregnancy Pause
by A.J. Jacobs
In a surprise move, splatter-punk auteur Quentin Tarantino has agreed to
direct a tampon commercial. Okay, so we made that up. But the truth is
just about as weird: David Lynch, he of such surreal fare as Twin Peaks
and Blue Velvet, has helmed a series of ads for a home pregnancy test.
The moody black-and-white spots, which started airing last month as part
of a $7 million campaign, climb inside the mind of a woman nervously
awaiting the result of her ClearBlue Easy One Minute pregnancy test.
Everything she sees--from the clock to shampoo bottles to the faucet
handles--reads yes or no.
"The client was a little nervous that the spot would be eerie and
scary," says David Cohen, executive producer at Ogilvy & Mather. "But
on the set, Lynch was constantly making sure the client was happy."
Lynch--who also directed a 1990 Obsession ad for Calvin Klein--heard
about the idea for the commercial from his agent. He contacted Ogilvy &
Mather saying he liked the bold, simple concept. But copywriter Lisa
Mayer knew better: "I said to him, 'Mr. Lynch, you were attracted to
this because it involves the psychological torture of a beautiful young
woman.' And he said, 'Yes.'"
In fact, Lynch engaged in a little good-humored on-the-set torture
himself. The veteran director made the spot's actress (newcomer Marisa
Parker) actually take a pregnancy test so he could tape her real-life
reaction. The twist: Lynch switched her results with those of a
pregnant crew member. Says Mayer, "[Marisa] held her own, then as soon
as the camera stopped rolling, she screamed, 'You bastard! Very
funny.'"
Parisienne
(1998)
Part of the Parisienne People campaign. An ad for F.J. Burrus's Parisienne cigarettes in Switzerland. It's part of a series featuring famous directors such as Jean-Luc Godard, Enki Bilal, Emir Kusturica and Giuseppe Tornatore. The ad aired in theaters throughout Switzerland.
Thanks to Alter Ego for the info.
Parisienne People, large (quicktime 6, 7.5 mb)
Parisienne People, small (quicktime 6, 4.5 mb)
Playstation 2:
The Third Place
(2000)
Part of the rollout of Sony's new Playstation 2 game console. This trailer was showing in theaters in Europe. It was shot on a two day shoot in LA in 2000. The commercial is the result of eighteen months of ad agency research, in which staff tested five ideas on early adopters across Europe. 'The Third Place' was the only one that captured the test groups' imaginations. According to creative director Trevor Beattie, Lynch was the only choice for the ad.
While shooting the commercial, Lynch gave running commentary. At the end of the shoot, he checked his
list of shots on the back of an envelope. Lynch took a maximum of one or two takes per shot.
Scott Dillups, a long-time collaborator with Lynch, was camera operator, DOP, and handle special effects and post on the commercial in LA. Lynch worked with John Neff to craft the sound design.
The Third Place - 60 seconds color - mpg format (6.8 mb)
The Third Place - 60 seconds color - quicktime format (6.2 mb)
The Third Place - 60 seconds b&w - mpg format (2.8 mb)
The Third Place - 30 seconds b&w - mpg format (1.6 mb)
Nissan Micra
(2002)
(article courtsey carpages.co.uk)
So original and distinctive is the new Micra that Nissan has
invented a new language to describe it. And our teacher will
be David Lynch.
Micra is no ordinary car, and no ordinary words can communicate
it. In conjunction with TBWA/G1, Nissan has developed a break-through
communications concept based around the fusion of existing
words to create a whole new vocabulary, such as modern yet
subtly retro – to make modtro. To underpin this departure
from the ordinary, Nissan asked acclaimed film director David
Lynch to direct the TV commercial.
The Micra combines bold and distinctive design, with easy
to use technology in a car engineered to be fun and easy to
drive. TBWA/G1 was briefed to develop a campaign which would
reflect this unique mix of values not only in terms of the
Micra, but also in the broader context of the Nissan brand
as a whole.
Agreeing to direct the advertisement, David Lynch commented,
"I like the Micra, particularly the headlamps. They are
like jewels. And I like the concept of ‘Do you speak
Micra?’ I like modern and retro put together to make
modtro – that’s a very good concept."
Accompanied by a flow of Micra words spoken by giant blue
lips – which recalls the atmosphere of Lynch’s
Blue Velvet – the new Micra moves through an innovative
environment lit by the French director of photography, Jean-Yves
Escoffier (The Crow: City of Angels, Good Will Hunting, Les
Amants du Pont-Neuf ).
David Lynch: "I think it was [surrealist artist Rene]
Magritte who put lips in the sky. This is a bit of the feel
of those big beautiful lips speaking in a supermodern and
very graphic city [Paris]."
Lynch and Escoffier combined to use innovative technologies
and an experimental approach to create an out-of-the-ordinary
commercial.
David Lynch said: "There is a lot of experimentation
in the shooting, so we have many pieces to fit together. Plus,
we are building things in 3D for this commercial. [For example]
the lips have got to be isolated and finessed. "
Chris Garbutt, Creative Director, TBWA/G1 Europe commented:
"Lynch and Escoffier used a wide range of machinery and
equipment to get the desired effect – from a helicopter,
to another car, even a parachute to reflect light from the
helicopter to the Micra. All this while fireworks were detonating
under the Micra’s wheels. They also shot a lot of elements
in different areas which have been blended together in 3D
during post production. This commercial is like the new Micra
car: a mixing of such different elements."
The way in which David Lynch filmed the car is in a way reminiscent
of the way he shot women in Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive:
with mystery, sensuality and with a sense of the bizarre.
Chris Garbutt: "In a shot going down from the top
of a building, Lynch introduced a woman character with red
hair looking out of a window. It's these details that inspire
a similar, cool emotion to Twin Peaks or Mulholland Drive."
So, it’s time to speak Micra…
Spafe (spontaneous + safe)
Simpology (simple + technology)
Smig (small + big)
Aggrendly (aggressive + friendly)
Thractical (thrilling + practical)
Luxurable (luxurious + affordable)
Compacious (compact + spacious)
The new Micra campaign will be launched all over Europe,
in up to 30 countries, from January 2003. It will cover all
media: TV, outdoors, radio, and internet. It goes on sale
from 15 January.
Nissan Micra - high bandwidth quicktime format (2.9 mb)
Nissan Micra - low bandwidth quicktime format (329 kb)
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