The Federated Team Is At It Again



If you grew up in L.A. in the eighties, you remember the brilliant, frenetic, and loopy commercials for The Federated Group, starring Shadoe Stevens as "Fred Rated," the sometime-puppet spokesman for the electronics chain where thousands bought their first Betamax machines. But what you may not know is that Chuck Cirino, video mastermind behind the productions, lives right here in the GH.

The Chuck and Shadoe have teamed up again to do a new commercial, this one for the "Standing Power Chair," and the result has echoes of the original oddball lunacy of the Federated commercials while still maintaining the dignity of the product and its intended users. An email fowarded to me from Shadoe Stevens says:

It was a crew of two...my long time friend Chuck Cirino (who used to do the Federated Commercials with me)...and me. We're a great team. I think this product will change lives. The website will be going up in the next few days and next week we're going to start trying to get the head of the company on talk shows and news programs. He's got MS and is almost completely paralyzed but he's unstoppable...a total inspiration. He said this chair saved his life and wants to make it available to others suffering from the same issues he's had to face....infections, bed sores, bad circulation, collapsed lungs, being at the mercy of others to change any position, and always looking up at the world. He now travels, goes on cruises, goes to rock concerts, and has a real life in the real world. He brought me in to create the branding and marketing. This is an astonishing product and a good reminder of how grateful we should all be...moment by moment.
Shadoe Stevens

Enjoy the video.

Comments

  1. Very nice technology! If they haven't done it already they should check Kevin Kelly's website (co-founder of Whole Earth Catalog, Wired Magazine and general Internet Icon) and the section "Cool Tools" at http://www.kk.org/cooltools/ and they'll see a link to submit their product.

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  2. And keep a lookout for our second spot. We shot it at Venice Beach among a throng of curious onlookers! Thank you, LJ!

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