Shape Your Life, ’90
That’s Joe Rein in a recent photo with the great Manny Pacquiao.
Joe was our VP of Broadcast Production at Cohen/Johnson. It was a big job because we were producing over 75 TV spots a year.
He was an experienced, street smart, can-do kind of guy. A former prizefighter whose tough battles in the ring helped prepare him for the wars on Madison Avenue.
But this is the story of one production where Joe almost went down for the count.
Cohen/Johnson had just made it into the finals of a new business pitch for Bally’s Health & Fitness Clubs. It was a sizable TV broadcast account so we were the perfect agency for it. But, of course, there were forty other agencies banging on their door.
Mark Johnson and I managed to get an hour-long meeting with their VP of Marketing and we gleaned an important piece of inside information. He wanted to direct his advertising at a whole new target — boomers. We seized upon this insight and decided to make it the focus of our advertising.
One morning, as I was pondering this in the shower, I came up with a line: “You don’t just shape your body. You shape your life.” When I got to the agency, I shared it with Bruce Dundore, our Associate Creative Director. He immediately saw the potential in the line and we began to discuss how we might bring it to life.
Instead of just showing people working out, we would tell an emotional story of one person…an older person…who was getting the most out of life by working out and being fit.
Bruce suggested that we not reveal that it’s an older guy right away. He envisioned shooting the spot with a series of extreme closeups…tight shots of biceps, hands on weights, legs lifting, arms rowing…but never seeing his face until the very end. That would be the dramatic moment.
We shared the script with Mark Johnson, he got excited, and we all agreed — let’s go for it! We would invest our own money and shoot a finished spot in order to win the account. The key was to find a talented director who was hungry to put a great new spot on his reel and would be willing to shoot it at cost. Enter Joe Rein.
He found the perfect director in New York and, as luck would have it, we were heading there to shoot some beautiful food footage for Jack in the Box. We decided to get both jobs done during our ten-day stay in the Big Apple.
All we needed now was the right guy to play the key role. No problem, right? Wrong! Remember, this guy had to be around 60 years old and very fit. There aren’t too many of those guys hanging around the streets of New York. But we weren’t worried. Joe Rein was on the case.
In the middle of one of the hottest Augusts on record, Joe started pounding the pavement, like a cheap detective, going from gym to gym looking for our guy. He scoured Manhattan, and when he couldn’t find him there, he took the train up to The Bronx and when that failed he hopped over to Brooklyn. Time was running out and Joe was getting a little punchy (poor choice of words, perhaps?) but he wouldn’t give up.
One hot humid night after a long day of shooting food, Joe walked into a gym that had seen its better days. Due to the intense heat and humidity, he was wearing little white tennis shorts, a strappy tee-shirt and white sneakers with no socks. He sauntered up to the counter where a big, burly manager was sitting and said, “I wonder if you could help me. I’m looking for a good-looking man about 60, well built with big muscles.” “I’ll bet you are” the manager said.
Without realizing where the conversation was going, Joe continued. “I want him to have large biceps…nice clear skin with no tattoos…and preferably no hair on his back.” “Listen buddy…” the manager tried to cut Joe off, but to no avail. “And he shouldn’t sweat too much.”
The manager exploded. “Listen pal, this isn’t the YMCA and we’re not The Village People!”
With that, Joe started backing out the door. “I’m staying at the UN Plaza Hotel, room 2115! I’ll pay cash!” “Get the hell outta here, you perve!”
Mere mortals might have given up. But two days later, as a bunch of us were sitting around the hotel lobby, Joe walked in with a good-looking well-built older man by his side – the very embodiment of what we were looking for. “Gentlemen” he said, “I’d like you to meet our guy!” Joe Rein had come through.
The director found the perfect gym and in one marathon shooting day, the production went off without a hitch. Then, on the flight back to LA, something magical happened. I had just enjoyed a couple of glasses of Chardonnay and was listening to the music in my airline headset. I was about to doze off when I heard a symphony orchestra playing a majestic piece.
I began to replay in my head the beautiful images we had just shot and I imagined how they would feel with this soundtrack. It was an epiphany. Instead of the sound design that we had originally planned – an artistic and stylized percussive treatment to simulate the sounds of physical effort — this ethereal music would take our spot to a whole new level.
The piece was called Saturday Night Waltz by the great American composer, Aaron Copland, and it became the emotional centerpiece of our Bally’s spot. (While we used it for our presentation to Bally’s, we couldn’t afford to buy the rights to run it on air, so the music you will hear is a lovely original piece that emulates the Copland score.)
This commercial also marked my official debut as a professional voice over announcer. If my voice sounds particularly mellifluous, it’s because I had a bad case of bronchitis. (With a little pneumonia, I could have had a great second career.)
On the big day of the presentation, we screened the spot for the Bally’s people. When the last note of music had played and the lights went back on, there was complete silence in the room. Then their president said, “Can we see that again?” The very next day, we were awarded the account.
And to think, it never would have happened without the fancy footwork of Joe Rein — prizefighter, producer and honorary member of The Village People.
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Like my stories? Please comment here or send questions to howie@madmensch.com. And if you like it, spread it.
© 2010 Howard Cohen, All Rights Reserved
Posted: November 19th, 2010 under Advertising.
Comments
Comment from Curvin O’Rielly
Time November 19, 2010 at 1:48 pm
What a spot! And a reminder that I’d better find a gym…
Comment from ARNIE POPKY
Time November 19, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Joe is the best of the best. What creativity
Comment from vivian mintz karow
Time November 20, 2010 at 4:50 am
Not only do I like the story, I have been in touch with Joe, not recently. We went to high school together and I remember him as a great guy. Good fottball player. All the girls loved him.
Send my love to Joe
Comment from Mad Mensch
Time November 20, 2010 at 10:04 am
Yes, he’s one-of-a-kind. I loved writing this story and sharing the memories with Joe.
Comment from Kenny Spring
Time November 20, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Brilliant Howie, just brilliant.
Comment from Mark Affif
Time November 20, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Really enjoyed reading your story about my good friend, Joe Rein. What I read is the guy that I know. The kind of guy you want in your corner no matter what the challenge. I have a feeling that many have had the same thought that you expressed so well! “Enter Joe Rein.”
Comment from Mad Mensch
Time November 20, 2010 at 5:01 pm
In the many years that we worked together, I can’t remember anything we asked Joe Rein to do, no matter how seemingly impossible the task, that he didn’t get done. Yeah, he’s my cut man.
Comment from Katy Bishop
Time November 20, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Terrific. Joe and Howie…what a team! Made this self-professed non-gym-rat think about joining….and that’s a change for me.
Comment from Mad Mensch
Time November 21, 2010 at 8:35 am
Thanks Katy, Don’t forget to shape your life.
Comment from Ted Roebling
Time November 21, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Great story, Howie. Doesn’t surprise me. Worked with Joe Rein for years. Constantly amazed how he was able to pull rabbits out of a hat.
Comment from Dan Workman
Time November 22, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Excellent story. It is funny how an idea will take wings so to speak, but what goes unnoticed is at times the most important ingredient. I know Joe Rein from discussing boxing and fighters, One of the most friendly and engaging people you would ever have a chance to talk to. Joe always struck me as a man of ‘ways and means’…He would get the job done…and did! It’s a pleasure to consider Joe as a friend.
Comment from hoss
Time November 22, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Great story! Some people were born with a gift, Joe has a few of them. Great teacher, mentor and friend.
great ad! kudos to Joe and his crew!
Hoss
Comment from PC
Time November 23, 2010 at 2:19 am
Nice story. Good pic too!
Comment from Boggle
Time November 23, 2010 at 6:40 am
Joe Rein has so many great stories, he needs to write a book!
Comment from roberta casagrande
Time February 27, 2011 at 7:34 am
my twin daughters are in the ballys commercial with grandpa i remember the day the commercial was shot.my daughters are now 24 one is in law school and one works at goldman sacks.i think that was a very creative commercial .since my parents lived in florida at the time it made a lot of their friends want to work out.i was so happy to find at youtube we are now watching it in face book.great job
Comment from Popeye
Time February 24, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Joe has inspiration to burn & an imagination that sets you on fire.
The Master of the Quill. I salute you mate.
Cheers
Comment from raymann
Time November 19, 2012 at 2:18 am
esb in the house! much love to JG!
Comment from steve platt
Time November 19, 2010 at 11:53 am
Howie….Home run, after home run, after home
run. You are truly the Babe Ruth of
advertising. Shecky