Ampd Mobile Bus Gives Power To Entertain Yourself

I posted earlier on the Amp’d Mobile teasers, Senator and Rockstar. I’d say that post has had the most responses of any I’ve posted over the last two and a half years. There were comments from people concerned about the impact of the TV ads on children. There were those who were just excited to try out the new Amp’d Mobile phone and couldn’t see any problem. I removed a few comments with offensive language and abusive tone. Amp’d Mobile are up and running with their new entertainment-focused cell network. To keep us reminded of their value to bored teenagers and young adults, Ampd released a new TV advertising campaign, Bus Kiss or Bus Brake. A young man gets out of his seat and starts ordering his fellow passengers around.

“You and you, fight!” Two men, one young and one old, start throwing each other around the bus.
“You – put the radio up”. An older man sitting in his seat turns up his boom box.
“You – shake your junk”. An African American woman starts dancing, moving her behind to the beat of the music.
“You two – make out!” Two blonde women start kissing, while a young boy next to them watches with astonishment.
The super: “Have the power to entertain yourself. Video games, MP3s, TV, Video Clips, all on the phone. Amp’d Mobile.”

Inevitably this Amp’d Mobile bus TV ad has had the same polarising effect as the two earlier ones. People concerned about ethics are asking serious questions about the effect of showing a white young man ordering an African American woman to do a pole dance, even if she does keep her clothes on. What we’re seeing here is the abuse of power over others by what appears to be a self-obssessed young man.

The response, no doubt, is that the whole scenario is a fantasy.

Credits

The Bus campaign was developed at Taxi, New York, by chief creative officer Paul Lavoie, creative director Dan Morales, copywriter Nathan Frank, art directors Paul Caiozzo and Brandon Mugar, executive producer Nick Felder, account manager Heather Doutt and group account supervisor Rich Muhlstock, working with Amp’d executives Peter Adderton (Founder & CEO) and Scott Anderson (SVP and Creative Director).

Filming was shot by director Tom Kuntz via MJZ with director of photography Bryan Newman and line producer Scott Kaplan.

Editing was done at at Mackenzie Cutler by Dave Koza, Mona Salma, with executive producer Melissa Miller.

Post production and VFX were produced at Charlex by senior flame artist Greg Oyen, art director/designer Jeff Stevens, smoke artist Jennifer Scelia, producer Eric Alba, executive creative director Alex Weil and executive producer Adam Isidore.