The so-called non-conceptual way of filming Michelob, so admired by Stanley Kubrick, caused a few problems at the advertising agency of record after they got the assignment.
The creative director of the agency, a nervous woman, disliked the girls in the spot, feeling they were just beautiful objects. I had edited a more provocative long form to enter in Cannes, where it won a Lion (Cannes, at that time, welcomed experimental work as the organizers felt that new efforts should be seen and rewarded). The CD went to the press and admonished me (subtly) for doing that. I guess she felt that I embarrassed her creatives. No matter. It was nice seeing the spot on a huge screen in Cannes.
We filmed a few lame ‘conceptual’ spots and Jack McDonough ordered us to get back to the original idea, style over substance, an attitude that fit the beer perfectly.
Since the commercials had become random impressions, I was free to do just about anything. I remember the agency producer complaining about me spending too much time filming a beautiful blonde driving a convertible through a tunnel. He didn’t realize that she was becoming more stressed the more takes we did and that worked for the vague idea of the spot. There was no understanding about process between him and his creative director. I just ignored him (it was easy to do). Later, I went back to film without the agency to eliminate their stopping of momentum.
The final bit of stupidity was editing out a specific girl.
‘Why didn’t you use that shot?’
‘Susan thought she looked like a hooker.’
The girl that looked like a hooker was on the cover of every domestic and European fashion magazine in the coming year.