A good commercial can be done for any product
Ivan Zachariáš has been inclined to filming and directing since his student days. He graduated from the Department of Documentary Filmmaking at FAMU in Prague and some of his short films have achieved considerable success. For example, Mulit, a 2003 parody of Bollywood films, is part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The first commercial he made was for Prazdroj, which Jan Svěrák "set him up" while he was still at university. The most appreciated spots are for drinks and cars. Zachariáš claims that the reason is not so much the topics mentioned, but the fact that these clients were more daring in their marketing approach. However, he is convinced that a good commercial can be made in any industry and it's all about the idea. For example, he has done a cat food commercial and it even won various awards. "Even boring products can have good commercials." He also adds that in general, clients used to be braver and are now a bit more afraid to venture into TV commercials.
He admits, however, that there are some industries for which he would refuse to do TV spots, such as anything violent or for cigarettes. Years ago, Ivan Zachariáš made a spot for the British Royal Marines. The video was very successful and the ad reportedly raised interest in enlisting. Zachariáš says he did not feel good about it and says he regrets making the spot. "I told myself I won't do this anymore," he said.
Stella Artois, the best UK ad
One of the most popular ads he has done is for Stella Artois beer. The story was originally supposed to be set during the French Revolution, but Zachariáš decided to set it in the First World War and bet on the story of a pilot. It won the award for Best British Commercial of 2001 at Cannes. According to Marek Šebesťák, head of the advertising agency MARK/BBDO, this is the biggest possible success and Zachariáš is a top in the field. "No one else in the Czech Republic has managed to do anything like this."
Video: Stella Artois
Adidas Equipo
Zachariáš is now one of the world's most sought-after ad directors and shoots most of his advertisements for interesting foreign clients. One of them is the world-famous brand Adidas, for which Zachariáš directed this commercial.
Video: Adidas
Ivan Zachariáš says that before shooting this commercial he liked football. Paradoxically, however, he didn't gravitate towards it so much after making this spot. He reportedly got too close to it already.
Nike and Maria Sharapova
"Pretty" is undoubtedly one of the commercials that can be considered one of the most successful of this interesting Czech's work. The famous tennis player Maria Sharapova starred in the ad for Nike, and this is the first time she has appeared as the face of the brand. Zachariáš won a gold award at Cannes for this ad.
Video: Nike
Rexona and Stunt City
Another Cannes gold for Zachariáš came for a 2005 film for the Rexona brand called Stunt city. The film was shot in Sydney and is full of stunts, all of which were filmed without the use of CGI. About thirty professional stuntmen took part in the filming.
Video: Rexona
Let the film speak for the director
Ivan Zachariáš has won many awards for his achievements, not only in advertising. His most successful period in this direction was from 1994 to 2006. His very first film at the National Gallery won the Golden Drum for the best European advertisement. He won his first Cannes Lion in 1998 for the aforementioned Whiskas cat food. The Golden Lion was then awarded to a Land Rover commercial in 2000. But how does this Czech giant feel about awards? In his own words - with some distance and a grain of salt. He himself has been a member of various juries and is aware of how it works at festivals. He says that of course it makes one happy to receive an award at Cannes, but that the director's work has to speak for him. "Nobody will give you work because of awards," he says.
The important thing is to keep trying new things and not to be afraid
Ivan Zachariáš' work is characterised above all by interesting ideas and novel scripts. He has always approached advertising as a small film and the quality of the output is his biggest motivation. He cares about a positive influence on the taste and intelligence of the viewer, it is not just about selling a product. He also says that it is important to constantly try new methods and techniques and not to “freeze” in one place. He believes that people are tired of "normal" advertisements and have recently lacked freedom. "Good advertising can be done for any product.”
