“Happy Grad” is the winner of Chevrolet’s Route 66 consumer-generated-ad contest, announced at the 2011 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, months before the 2011-12 NFL season began. The contest netted 400 scripts from filmmakers in 32 countries, according to Chrysler, and 198 ads shot in the final phase. If the ultimate victor doesn’t seem to completely fulfill Chevrolet’s dictum that entries portray “an epic road trip story or adventure that captures the spirit of Route 66 and Chevrolet,” with very little seen of anyone behind the wheel, the spirit bursts through.
“Happy Grad” was conceived and created by Zach Borst, then a 21-year-old Long Island resident who shot it in four hours in front of his house and won $25,000 for his work.
Compare with the other big consumer-generated ads of Super Bowl XLVI, Doritos' "Sling Baby" and "Man's Best Friend."
Chevy’s contest followed another by the brand, conducted like the Route 66 effort with the crowdsourcing company Mofilm, in conjunction with the Tribeca Film Festival. Chevy also ran a 2007 Super bowl ad that originated in with a contest winner's idea but was nonetheless be executed by Campbell-Ewald ("Car Wash").
Director: Zach Borst. Director of photography: Michael Ilkiw.
BRAND: Chevrolet Camero
YEAR: 2012
AGENCY: consumer-generated
SUPERBOWL: XLVI
QUARTER AIRED: Q2