John Hammond, Intolerant Champion

Last updated
John Hammond, Intolerant Champion
Client Guinness
LanguageEnglish
Running time60 seconds
Release date(s)1 February 2016
Directed by Jake Nava
Starring
Production
company		 AMV BBDO, Irish International
CountryUK

John Hammond, Intolerant Champion is a Guinness advertisement, part of the Guinness' 'Made of More' campaign, and produced in 2015 by AMV BBDO and Irish International. It is directed by Jake Nava, and stars Timothy Renouf as John Hammond, featuring alongside Lianne La Havas. The advert is narrated by Danny Glover and appears in black and white. It was released online on 1 February 2016 and on television two days later. The music is based on a remix from Sing, Sing, Sing . The sequence begins with Hammond walking into Claridges Hotel in New York to record at his radio station with his jazz band made up mainly of black musicians in the 1930s; a time they were typically segregated.

Contents

Four short supporting documentaries were produced to accompany the film. The first featured Amir Amor, the second Lady Leshurr, the third La Havas, and the fourth and final documentary featured Yannis Philippakis. Articles on the documentaries were led by The Irish Times and related each artists relation to the story of Hammond. The advertisement's intention has been seen to connect the black and white colour of Guinness with Hammond's "refined taste for music and his openness to African Americans for his love for jazz". [1]

Production and background

John Hammond, Intolerant Champion is a Guinness advertisement, produced in 2015 by AMV BBDO and Irish International, directed by Jake Nava, and launched by Diageo in 2016. [2] [3] The short film portrays Timothy Renouf as John Hammond, and also features Lianne La Havas and was voiced-over by Danny Glover. [2] [4]

Part of the Guinness' 'Made of More' campaign, it tells the story of Hammond, known for signing up black and white musicians in the 1930s, and who recruited artists such as Billie Holiday, Count Basie and Aretha Franklin. [5] The title comes from Hammond's self-statement of how he saw himself; "the sometimes intolerant champion of tolerance". [5] It was released online and on Instagram on 1 February 2016 and on television two days later. [6] [7] Four short supporting documentaries were produced to accompany the film. [8] The first featured Amir Amor, [9] the second Lady Leshurr, [10] the third La Havas, [11] and the fourth and final documentary featured Yannis Philippakis. [8]

Sequence

Hammond is depicted walking into a radio station in the 1930s, to record live on air a band consisting of black and white musicians, despite a radio station ban on black musicians being reported in the newspapers. [12] Black people are seen dancing to jazz, and Hammond is shown socialising and laughing with them. [12] The complete sequence lasts 60 seconds. [12] The music is based on a remix from Benny Goodman's Sing, Sing, Sing . [4]

Response

The Irish Times led a series of articles on the supporting documentaries, beginning with how Hammond's story resonated with Amor, who had been a child asylum seeker in London. [9]

The story was promoted on social media by La Havas. [12] She related her own success on being "plucked from the ether" by her manager. [11] Lady Leshurr responded to the film in the opening lines of her supporting documentary, saying that "John Hammond saw music as a force for good" ...and ... "He didn’t really care about what race or culture the music was. He was just passionate about it. That’s the same for me". [10] The advertisement's intention has been seen to connect the black and white colour of Guinness with Hammond's "refined taste for music and his openness to African Americans for his love for jazz". [1]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Rajnochová, Tereza (2020). Intertextuality in Guinness Advertising Bachelor’s Diploma (PDF). Brno: Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature. p. 56.
  2. 1 2 Winstanley, Ben (3 February 2016). "Guinness launches new 'Made of More' advertising campaign". morningadvertiser.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "New Guinness Ad Celebrates John Hammond, 'Intolerant Champion of Tolerance' | LBBOnline". lbbonline.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Guinness presents: 'John Hammond', intolerant champion featuring Lianne La Havas and Timothy Renauf". www.famemagazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Watch the new Guinness ad celebrating the man who brought musicians together in New York". The Herald. 2 February 2016. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Roderick, Leonie (2 February 2016). "Why Guinness picked Instagram for its 'social first' 60-second ad". Marketing Week. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Guinness: John Hammond, Intolerant Champion". ICAD. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  8. 1 2 Quinn, Gary (16 March 2016). "Yannis Philippakis discusses the legacy of John Hammond and Foals' desire to break down barriers". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  9. 1 2 "Pushing boundaries: Rudimental fuse 1930s Jazz with London's Dubstep scene". The Irish Times. 17 February 2016. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  10. 1 2 Quinn, Gary (25 February 2016). "Forging change: Lady Leshurr channels John Hammond's 'force for good' ideals". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Lianne La Havas on the solid start to her musical career". The Irish Times. 4 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Kitchen, Philip J.; Tourky, Marwa E. (2022). "12. Case studies". Integrated Marketing Communications: A Global Brand-Driven Approach. Springer. pp. 331–333. ISBN   978-3-030-76416-6.
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