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Chapter 56: Kerr's Ad
🕑 Added 2024-10-03 17:44:28 +0000 UTCAvril didn't speak, sitting directly on the step beside Ethan.
The chilly evening breeze blew against her chest, lifting her thin T-shirt slightly, revealing her delicate collarbone.
Ethan tightened his clothes and asked, "Why didn't you go back with the band?"
"They live in Manhattan, and it's not on my way. How about you?"
"Bronx."
"That's on the way. Can you give me a ride home?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Avril. Her youthful face appeared particularly dreamy under the dim glow of the setting sun behind her.
"I thought you'd hate me," Ethan shrugged.
"Why would I hate you? You were right," Avril shook her head. "We're not really that punk. Our lives are stable and carefree. We complain about society and the government like we're voicing punk, but I know, real punk is long gone."
Ethan hadn't expected his earlier words to make Avril reflect so deeply, leading her to a moment of introspection.
Avril continued, "I just want to express my own attitude through my songs. I don't like being constrained by others. Do you know that feeling?"
Wait a minute...
Ethan frowned. Why did it feel like they were having a heart-to-heart? Were they that close? Or was she just looking for someone to talk to?
But it didn't matter. As a director, he did have some responsibility to comfort his actors.
"Don't be so down, Avril, I understand what you mean. The fact that you can see yourself clearly now and aren't afraid to share your true feelings with others — that's the punk spirit. You've done it. You've expressed yourself and don't care about others' opinions. Whether it's punk or not doesn't really matter."
"Thanks, man," Avril smiled and reached out her hand.
Ethan bumped fists with her. In the fading light, her face seemed softer.
After the crew wrapped up, Ethan gave her a ride home.
Near her street, Ethan watched as Avril waved and walked away. Her slender figure slowly disappeared into the distance. He got back into his car, smiling as the scent of lavender lingered inside.
The next day, Avril's new music video shoot continued until 6 p.m., and Ethan even had CAA increase the budget again.
Of course, negotiating the additional budget took two hours. Even though Avril herself agreed, her manager and record company took some convincing.
They felt that the video didn't need to cost too much, but Ethan argued that it was necessary.
Fortunately, Ethan's previous track record helped. With one Billboard number one music video and two out of the top three in the half-yearly charts, Avril's company decided it was worth the gamble.
After some back-and-forth, the additional budget was finally transferred to CAA, allowing Ethan to continue the shoot with full creative freedom.
No one objected to Ethan's decisions during that day's shoot, and Avril's demeanor was completely different from the previous day — so gentle that even the band noticed she seemed like a different person.
Without their leader, Evan and the others had no way to cause trouble.
Overall, the shoot ended smoothly, and after wrapping up the music video, Avril asked for Ethan's phone number. He wasn't sure what she planned to do with it.
Three days passed quickly, and during that time, Ethan completed the shooting of the Kerr's ad.
For the casting, he chose Cindy and a young boy actor.
Cindy's appearance and demeanor perfectly fit the image of a gentle mother, while Kayden looked more like the daughter.
After the shoot was finished, the ad was quickly edited by the post-production company and delivered to Kerr's.
Thomas, after watching it, gave it high praise and decided to air the ad on Friday evening.
Time flew by, and soon it was Friday at 7 p.m.
Housewife Tessa was sitting on her couch, writing down the groceries she needed to buy for the next week.
In America, families typically don't go to the grocery store daily. Instead, they wait until the end of the week, driving to the store and buying everything they need for the following week in one trip.
This is the business model that big membership stores like Sam's Club thrive on.
Tessa was thinking about what else she might need at home, wanting to avoid discovering she'd forgotten something after returning from the store.
At that moment, the TV on FOX suddenly started playing an ad.
Tessa was about to grab the remote to lower the volume but then found the ad interesting.
On the screen, a young mother dressed in animal skin was cooking beans for her child.
"Beans… hmm, it's been a while since I've had those."
Tessa nodded, deciding to add beans to her shopping list, but couldn't think of a brand to buy, so she kept watching.
The scene shifted from the prehistoric mother and child enjoying their beans to a Greek mother and a shepherd boy.
Tessa's interest was piqued, and she watched intently.
The warm scenes in the ad reminded her of the time she spent with her own children. But as her kids had grown older, those happy times had been replaced with silence and distance.
She hadn't had a real conversation with her children in ages.
With a sigh, Tessa watched as the ad transitioned from the Egyptian queen era, to the pioneer days, to the 1980s, and then the 1990s.
When she saw the scene of a modern-day mother and child eating beans together, she smiled slightly, looking around her cold, empty living room. She removed her glasses and rubbed her dry eyes.
Just then, the ad came to an end with a shot of a red-and-white can of beans next to a child picking up a spoon.
A soft, warm female voice narrated, "Kerr's Beans, the taste that never changes."
"Kerr's Beans… oh, that brings back memories," Tessa finally recognized the brand of baked beans but was also flooded with memories.
Back when her children were younger, she used to eat Kerr's Baked Beans with them, just like the mothers in the ad. But now, those beans had disappeared from her dining table, mirroring the change in their relationship.
Tessa picked up her pen and wrote "Kerr's Baked Beans" on her list. "I'll buy a few cans, maybe Jerry will like them…"
That night, across America, countless people saw the ad on TV, including mothers, fathers, and children.
Some were touched by the ad's message, feeling a desire to revisit the classic baked beans.
The next day, Kerr's Baked Beans were sold out in supermarkets across the country, with stores even running out of stock!
Even Kerr's themselves hadn't anticipated such a situation. Thomas had to rush to the factory to personally oversee the production line, ensuring the stores were restocked as quickly as possible!
Though it was exhausting, Thomas wore a smile on his face the whole time, wishing for more days like this.
Meanwhile, advertising companies everywhere were urgently holding meetings because of the success of this ad!
