The karmic balance of the creative universe has just been pushed a small degree out of the black with the creation of Michael Langan’s recent spot for Skoda. The piece is well executed and charming, however the real impact was made for me in the way the project materialized.
We posted Michael’s hugely successful, undergraduate thesis-film, Doxology, almost a year ago. About a month later, Michael was approached by Puente Aereo (a Barcelona-based production company) to adapt the car tango scene from Doxology for Skoda.
So often, agencies are inspired by non-commercial work, include these references in their creative briefs and then go to a much more established or safe director to execute an often watered-down version of the original. On this occasion, the student film from 2007 became a paying commercial homage a year later. Not only should this be the ethical standard amongst the advertising community, but this is proof to production companies that personally initiated work can be a commercially viable investment — something the innovators have always understood.
Michael is currently a director and creative at SF-based Mekanism.
Client: Skoda Auto
Title: Skoda Superb Tango
Agency: Road
Concept: Michael Langan
Production Company: Check In by Puente Aereo
Director: Michael Langan
Executive Producer: Silvia Sala
Producer: Santi Borras
DP: Mario Montero
Music: Dan Radlauer