About this project

BACKGROUND

Cornelius Trunchpole is the self-proclaimed "god of advertising".  From inventing the voice over to introducing the first woman in a commercial, his claims push the boundaries of innovation.  But after trailblazing the industry in the 40's, 50's and 60's -- he mysteriously banished himself from the ad-world, and society all together for the latter part of the century.  Until now.  He's back and has a new plan to revolutionize advertising for good.  Or so it seems. Though he has a real presence on the internet (see: http://www.facebook.com/corneliustrunchpole and http://corneliustrunchpole.blogspot.com), his identity is largely unknown.    

PROJECT  

The idea behind this project, titled "Art and Corny", is an attempt to dig deeper into the mythos of the man by interviewing some of advertising's biggest, real-life luminaries, as well as celebrities outside of the industry on how they were influenced by Trunchpole. It's a quirky, fun, 15 minute documentary that aims to bring awareness to a legitimate cause: developing non-profit agency, "Trunchpole & Trunchpole".  The agency's aims are to provide collaborative creative services to socially conscious organizations (Habitat for Humanity is their first client).  We've already interviewed a handful of renowned creatives - including Lee Clow (man that helped put Apple on the map) and Eric Kallman (co-creator of the "Man Your Man Smells Like" campaign for Old Spice) - and intend on involving many more.  Jeff Goodby of Goodby Silverstein is scheduled for filming this Fall, and we're targeting icons like Hugh Hefner and Steven Spielberg.

WHAT WE NEED

Here's where you can help.  We need finances for travel costs (many of these figures are spread across the US), further filming, licensing fees (music), etc... Up to this point, the documentary has been self-funded, but we're asking for your contributions to help us cross the finish line and put this project on the map!  So dive in; the water's warm.  Really -- like swimming in the refreshing waters of the Carribbean... only better!

THE END GOAL

The plan is to launch the documentary at first online.  We'll utilize existing networks within the ad industry to help spread the word.  No doubt, the celebrity-like involvement of the interviewees will help drive interest.  At the end of the day, however, the goal is to promote Trunchpole's agency and and its philanthropic efforts.  We also want to push the documentary through various film festivals to help drive more attention.

Our self-imposed completion date is December 31st 2011 at 11:59 pm (time zone negotiable).  With your help, we'll beat the clock.