Reflex Puts Photocopier in Prison

Australian Paper promoted their brand, “Reflex” with a television commercial, “Prison” in a campaign started in January 2006. A prison truck drives up to Pentridge prison, near Coburg in Victoria, Australia. Among the inmates is a photocopier. The machine is photographed and escorted to its cell. But the viewer is clued into the story behind the story. The printer didn’t do it. It was the paper that caused the jamming. In the meantime, the printer is showering the boys in prison. Voiceover: “For better performance, always rely on Reflex.”

Credits

The Reflex Photocopier Prison campaign was created at O’Keefe Murphy Gaff, Melbourne, by creative director Peter Murphy, art director Jason Hynes and agency producer Sonia Von Bibra.

Jason Hynes, OMG art director, says, “We needed a way to make the core Reflex promise of reliability relevant in a world where confusion reigns over whose fault the paper jam is. To put the heat back onto the paper, we decided to turn the ad upside down and use the absurdity of sending an innocent printer to prison, creating drama and intrigue for the viewer.

Director was Tony Rogers via Renegade Films with producer Jenny Livingstone. Editor was Tim Parrington at MRPPP. Sound was engineered at Gas.

Lonesome Song Music

Music was organised by Level Two Music. Karl Richter and Jen Taunton from Level Two Music give us the gen on the music playing in the Reflex ad….

The song playing on the Reflex “Innocent Printer” spot is by the obscure and rather wonderful husband wife US 1970’s country psych outfit “Jack and Misty”. Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan had one cross over hit a curious kooky track called the “Tennessee Bird Walk” in the early 70’s. The song on the Reflex spot is called “Lonesome Song” and can be found on the recently released Jack and Misty compilation entitled “Life and Death (and almost everything else)”.

“Its always a joy to discover an unusual buried copyright and then see it work so well – particuliarly for Tony Rogers who has exemplary taste in music. If you liked Reflex: keep an eye out for Just Jeans “Lobster” and the upcoming “Connex” that we have worked on recently. Both spots have soundtracks with very obscure/interesting copyrights. If anyone wants further info on other Jack and Misty material available for synch please contact Karl or Jen at Level Two Music”.