60 Second Adventure Movies

60 Second Adventure Movies

I don’t drink alcohol.  It does not mix well with my cancer medications. Except for one year in college I hardly ever drank to the point on inebriation.  Drinking only made me sleepy and sloppy.

On the other hand I do enjoy good writing, and Jameson Whiskey has produced a series of television ads labeled John Jameson legends. In 60 seconds or less the watcher experiences an entire humorous and yet thrilling adventure. 

The first one I remember started when a barrel of Jameson’s Whiskey washed overboard off a ship in a storm.  The fearless hero kissed his wife and leapt over board to rescue it.  A giant octopus intervened but John Jameson won in the end.

A second commercial described how the Hawk of Ackle first carried off the miller’s daughter and then stole a barrel of Jameson’s whiskey.  The hero cleverly tricked the hawk and returned with the whiskey and the woman along with the defeated raptor.

A third commercial showed a runaway train with screaming passengers and, critically, a rail car loaded with, you guessed it, barrels of Jameson’s Whiskey.  Jameson finished his breakfast before jumping onto the engine from his horse. He tossed the engineer off the train and onto his horse.  Then he uncoupled the cars with whiskey and screaming passengers.  His actions unexpectedly saved Ireland from an unseen threat. 

I’ve tried to keep all spoilers from my description so if you haven’t seen the commercials, there will still be surprises in each one. 

The ads present short lessons in writing.  Start when the action is hot.  When you hero or heroine gets into trouble heap more trouble upon his or her head.  Humor and surprise increase your audience’s enjoyment.  Create a satisfying ending. Then stop.

What commercials have you seen that have lessons in writing?