Written by on Feb 19, 2010. Posted in Production News

Barclaycard Rollercoaster ad uses Spydercam rig in New York

BBH has designed a follow-up to Barclaycard’s hugely successful Waterslide commercial, advertising contactless technology from the card company. The new spot was filmed in New York and follows a man taking an immense rollercoaster ride between the city’s skyscrapers on his way to the office.

The commercial is the first in the UK to use the Spydercam rig that captured stunning aerial footage in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films. Romy Miller, account director for PR at BBH, said of the Spydercam: “MJZ decided together with director Nicolai Fuglsig to go for it and we were really excited about it instantly. It's like doing a movie.”

Suza Horvat, the producer with MJZ, said filming in New York and showing the Manhattan Bridge “marked a step up” from the previous Waterslide spot, where the city was anonymous. She added that using the iconic city of New York helps deliver “more gravitas” for the hotly-anticipated campaign.

Marybeth Ihle, press associate at the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting in New York, said the production used the Spydercam rig in Pearl Street and Coenties Slip in the financial district.

The production planned the camera’s route by doing extensive reconnaissance trips and pre-visualisation with the director. The rig itself runs on two parallel cables suspended 300 feet in the air, as seen in the image taken by James Douglas of James Douglas Studio. There are no limitations in terms of where it can be anchored and the cable system means it can deliver aerial shots between buildings at a height unobtainable to helicopters.

Ms Horvat added: “We spent a month planning with a chief rigger, structural engineers and the director as we planned the camera’s route.”

A temporary structure was built on the 18th floor of a financial district building, from which they ran the cables nearly a mile to a stick crane. The Mayor’s Office and the Department of Buildings issued permits and the Federal Aviation Authority was notified as the Spydercam uses powerful radio waves to operate.

Considering the future of the device, Ms Horvat said: “The Spydercam is phenomenal. I would hope it starts being used more often as it’s very versatile, but there’s a lack of understanding about it at the moment.”

Credits
Client: Barclaycard
Agency: BBH
Production Company: MJZ
Production Service Company: MJZ
Producer: Suza Horvat

Executive Producer: Debbie Turner
Director: Nicolai Fuglsig
Director of Photography: Alwin Kuchler
Spydercam Chief: Todd “Hammer” Semmes