A story of Mexican Rodeo

Olly Goodrum flies to Mexico and makes a film – not that unremarkable you might think but 10 days spent with the travelling circus that is Mexico’s Rodeo scene makes a story as interesting as the film itself.

Deep in Mexican cowboy country the Rodeo is not for tourists or the faint of heart, forget what you might have seen further north in the US. Mexican Rodeo takes on a colour and spectacle that is unique to this amazing country. Charrería, not soccer, is Mexico’s National sport. Music, colour, noise, hero-worship, children and old men (and everyone in between!) are part of the pageant. Health and safety are out of the window and limbs and lives are on the line.

Olly’s mission starts with a collaboration with a stills photographer and develops into him making his own film. Six months approaching the right people for access – no easy task as the scene is not comfortable with outsiders as it is generally very harshly judged by its US equivalent and the West in general.

True to Olly’s personality as soon as the access is given he hops on a plane armed with a camera and sound recorder. He follows the riders themselves and becomes part of their camp – he is given unparalleled access to the preparation and shows.
We think Olly has made an incredibly beautiful film that provokes and beguiles in equal measure, judge for yourself, but we think you will have not seen anything like it before.

Is You Tube the repository of all human endeavor? Is it true if it’s not on You Tube it never happened? These are philosophical questions, but meanwhile Liz Murphy’s latest collaboration with BBH puts a very clever spin on the well-worn concept of You Tube video as ad, by constructing a backstory to a well known clip, taking us back to the optimistic breakfast hours of the fateful day in question.

“ It all started so well”

The breakfast scenes are all shot with Liz’s trademark effortless, beautiful realism, and evoke a fabulous sense of delicious museli-fuelled optimism from under which the rug is swiftly pulled by the famous clip.

We in the office chuckle every time we see them, but then again we are a pretty sadistic bunch.

Cricket fans will note the excellent forward defensive spoon-work or our hero, preceding what is widely regarded as the most inept batting performance in the history of the sport (Nice Shirt management excluded).

Stuart’s heartwarming new Wickes spot sees three generations coming together for a DIY project; over a series of frosty English mornings, we see the Hampson family set to work on an impressive treehouse. Full of feel good loveliness and pencils behind ears, the spot encourages us all to amend our surroundings for the ones we love, guided by those helpful folks at Wickes. As ever, Stuart’s got his eyes firmly on the details, right down to those invigorating cups of tea, inspiring us all to tackle that much postponed project from three years ago.