Merge Teams with the Chicago-based Company Tapping its Editorial, Motion Design, VFX and Animation Services for a Broadcast/Internet Campaign Cut to the Tune of a Nostalgic TV Theme Song
The Colonie editor Tom Pastorelle recently partnered with Merge on a broadcast and web campaign for Advocate Aurora Health, one of the largest not-for-profit integrated health systems in the country. The Chicago-based company’s editorial and postproduction services were tapped for a trio of spots by the marketing and advertising agency, which executed a large media buy for the campaign that included local airing during this year’s Super Bowl.
All of the commercials are set to the melody of ‘C’mon, Get Happy,’ the theme song from the ‘70’s TV Show, ‘The Partridge Family.’ The lyrics are switched to ‘C’mon, Get Healthy,’ with variations on the verses and tempo underscoring each spot’s message and establishing its tone.
‘Anthem,’ an emotional :60, touches on seminal moments in a couple’s life. It tells the story of a boy and girl who first meet at a football game, become high school and then college sweethearts, marry, have a child, and watch their daughter go off to college, leaving the empty-nesters to begin the next chapter of their lives. Cut to a slow-paced version of the track, the story ends where it began, on the football field. The spot closes with the tagline, “Together let’s make healthy happen.”
“‘Anthem’ was a lot of fun to edit,” says Pastorelle, who cut the spots on Adobe 
Premiere. “We played with a few different options for opens and endings before deciding to bookend the commercial with the couple back where they first met. We also explored different ways to use voiceover, ultimately discovering that the storytelling was more engaging with just the music and vocals.”
“Cutting a 60-second spot that spans 30-years required making some tough choices,” adds the editor. “one of the challenging aspects of the process was parting with some of director Paul Dektor’s beautiful scenes.
The lively feel of the :30’s, ‘Cardio’ and ‘Tech’ are a departure from ‘Anthem’s’ touching story. Pastorelle wove together a variety of cheery, light-hearted scenes for the spots that feature diverse groups of people engaging in healthy everyday activities while singing along with upbeat versions of “C’mon, Get Healthy.”
“Hearing so many different voices singing the lyrics makes the spots feel very inclusive,” says the editor. “However, many of the actors’ vocalizations weren’t in sync with the soundtrack, which made cutting both ‘Cardio’ and ‘Tech’ pretty tricky.”
Pastorelle worked with Assistant Editor Lindsey Fisher, reviewing the footage multiple times to find the scenes with performances that best matched the music and fit the sequencing. After considerable tweaking, including ADR, they were able to align the vocals with the tracks seamlessly.
‘Cardio’ showcases people enjoying everyday activities as they sing along with a lively version of ‘C’mon, Get Healthy.’ The :30 spot features groups of people exercising together, from running to practicing ‘goat’ yoga in a park – while live
goats join in on the action.to a lady dancing with her dog, and a runner taking a moment to check her stats on her ‘smart’ watch.
‘Tech,’the other :30 in the campaign, weaves together scenes of folks enjoying a various activities while using Advocate’s digital health services network to schedule appointments and e-visits, as well as access data and tools from where ever their day takes them. The voiceover, “Advocate Aurora offers new ways to connect to your health – anytime anywhere. Together let’s make healthy happen,” helps bring home its message.
After completing the rough cuts for each commercial, Merge’s creatives sat in on the edit sessions, working with Pastorelle to 
find the best approach to making each spot a simple story with an engaging message.
The editor’s working relationship with the agency’s Executive Creative Director, Michael Matykiewicz goes back over a decade. The ECD introduced him to Kevin Houlihan, Merge’s CCO, which led to the Pastorelle cutting a number of projects for the agency, including some of Advocate’s earlier campaigns.
The Colonie’s talent worked under one roof as a collaborative team through every phase of the project. The company’s full-service approach enabled them to provide the efficient workflow needed to meet Merge’s tight deadline and deliver a compelling campaign.
Jennifer Moody, The Colonie’s creative director, used Adobe After Effects to animate the screens of the multiple mobile 
devices that appear in the spots and design the motion graphics for all of the end titles. Tom Dernulc finished the commercials on Autodesk Flame with the assistance of Ben Pokorny. The footage required a wide range of fixes, from transforming a high school football field into a large-scale college stadium to removing the hand of a goat handler.
“I always enjoy working with the team at Merge,” adds Pastorelle. “They’re committed to making each spot the best it can be – and we invariably have fun and share a lot of laughs along the way. Collaborating with Merge has always been a rewarding experience and teaming up with them on this job was no exception.”
About: The Colonie:
The Colonie is an award-winning Chicago-based creative editorial, motion design, visual FX and finishing postproduction house with a seamless full-service approach to creating broadcast and digital content that engages, entertains, informs and
moves audiences.
National and global clients, such as McDonald’s, BCBS, Facebook, Anheuser-Busch, Nintendo, Levi’s, PepsiCo, Walmart and Bayer are just a few of the brands that call upon the company’s collaborative team of talent to deliver compelling visual stories that elevate the viewer’s experience and connects them to their brands across multiple platforms.
For more information visit www.TheColonie.com, or contact executive producer, Mary Caddy at 312-225-1234, or Sonia Reps, [email protected], 312-519-0911.
CREDITS:
Brand: Advocate Aurora Health
Titles: ‘Anthem’ :60, ‘Cardio’ :30, and ‘Tech’ :30
Type: Broadcast Commercial/Internet (Integrated Campaign)
Agency: Merge / Chicago
CCO: Kevin Houlihan
ECD: Michael Matykiewicz
CD: Colin Quinn
Copywriter: Lo Trojan
Producer: Laure Irwin
Production Company: Paul Dektor Films / LA
Director: Paul Dektor
Producer: Russel Sher
Editorial Company: The Colonie / Chicago
Creative Editor: Tom Pastorelle
Assistant Editor: Lindsey Fisher
Finishing: Tom Dernulc
Assistant Finisher: Ben Pokorny
Producer: Anne Siwek
Executive Producer: Mary Caddy
VFX/Animation/Motion Design Company.: The Colonie / Chicago
Creative Director/Motion Designer: Jennifer Moody
VFX Artist: Tom Dernulc
VFX Assistant: Ben Pokorny
Color Correction Company: CO3 / Chicago
Colorist: Tyler Roth
Audio & Sound Design Company: Chicago Recording Company /Chicago
Mixer/Sound Designer: Eric Cauwels
Music Production & Recording Company: Yessian NY/Detroit
CCO: Brian Yessian
Head of Production: Michael Yessian
EP: Gerard Smerek
Composers: Mike Dragovic, Jarrett Farkas
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