All those mustaches you've seen cropping up on the upper lips of men everywhere aren't just a case of fashion gone wrong. If Intel is to be believed, it's a sign of something more sinister: an alien invasion.
That's the basis of Intel and Toshiba's third social-film campaign, "The Power Inside," set to be launched in August by Pereira & O'Dell. The agency has won accolades for the last two "Inside" experiences, including winning big at Cannes as well as picking up a Daytime Emmy, for last year's "The Beauty Inside."
But while 2011's "The Inside Experience," directed by "Disturbia" director A.J. Caruso and last year's "The Beauty Inside," by "Crazy/Beautiful's" Drake Doremus were both slightly serious pieces of work, "The Power Inside," which will be directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon ("Blades of Glory") is a little more lighthearted.
The plot runs something like this: Earth is invaded by a race of extraterrestrial mustaches and unibrows who take over the upper lips and eyes of people, thus gaining access to their brains. The main character, with the help of his friends, finds his inner strength (tying the plot back to the idea of what's on the inside that counts) and defeats the invaders. As in previous movies, Intel-inspired Toshiba Ultrabooks will play a part.
The "social" aspect of the film will ask people to audition to play the part of the invaders -- with a twist. People will have to upload a photo from their webcams to the Facebook page, and facial recognition software will add the requisite hirsuteness to their visages. If they want to join the team of the "Guardians," they'll have to upload a video of themselves removing mustaches.
Appearing in this year's films are Harvey Keitel ("Reservoir Dogs"), Craig Roberts ("Submarine"), Analeigh Tipton ("Crazy, Stupid, Love"), Reid Ewing ("Modern Family") and Zack Pearlman ("The Inbetweeners"). The film will be much more effects-heavy than its predecessors, and Zoic will handle the VFX. The first episode, one of six, launches Aug. 15.
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