‘Momkhana’ – One Mom Gives Her Minivan The Ken Block Treatment

by McGuire | February 18, 2015 3:11 pm

Whoa! This is one minivan mama I would not want to mess with! Watch her as she twists and turns, drifting with her kiddos in the backseat. They seem pretty used to mom’s shenanigans by now though. Just Kidding! They weren’t actually in the car, but it makes for great ad[1]:

momkhana_t[2]

Hang on, kids, Mom’s about to smoke all four tires and do some epic drifting on the way to school today. Seat belts? Try harnesses.

In a near frame-by-frame remake of the Internet-busting Ken Block Gymkhana videos, Famous Footwear and producers at shareability have created “Momkhana,” a three-minute exercise in bad parenting masquerading as a shoe commercial.

Not really –- settle down, social services workers — since the children in the fast and furious short film were never in the running car. (See how that was shot, along with other making-of tidbits, in the behind-the-scenes video).

Famous Footwear, a national discount chain, is taking a cue from other companies that are trying to shake up their marketing and propel themselves to viral video glory.

Executives at the St. Louis-based retailer, on hearing the idea of a stunt-driving suburban mom in a tricked-out minivan, reacted with a “combination of frightened and excited laughter,” said Nick Reed, shareability co-founder.

They gave it the green light, so to speak, and Momkhana was born with Shauna Duggins, a mom in real life, behind the wheel of a 550-horsepower vehicle that’s probably never been used for carpooling. Donuts, slow motion and aerial shots ensued.

Duggins, a veteran Hollywood stunt coordinator and stunt double for Jennifer Garner and other A-listers, burned circles through some neighborhoods just north of Los Angeles for the video, wearing stylish sneakers, of course.

“People always comment on how women can’t drive, so we wanted to mess with that idea,” Reed said.

“And we think moms are underestimated. They’re cool people. “And
we think moms are underestimated. They’re cool people.”

For Famous Footwear, which has about 1,000 outlets across the country, “Momkhana” is a necessary step outside its comfort zone, said Will Smith, the chain’s chief marketing officer.

“It’s not a typical ad that shows 20 different shoes and just talks about product,” Smith said. “But we have to forget about being so heavy-handed all the time. We want to become part of the conversation.”

The brand joins a growing list of companies that have debuted digital short-form video as an unexpected, and often irreverent, advertising message. It may be in lieu of or in addition to traditional ads.

“Marketers know now that you can’t just club people over the head –- you have to be more clever than that,” Smith said. “For us, we know strategically that it’s the right way for us to begin elevating our voice.”

Such an adorable take on advertising, and I know I will be forwarding this too cute ad to all my mom friends. Enjoy!

The Ad:

And Let’s Go Behind The Scenes:

Written by Katie McGuire. Follow Katie on Twitter @GOPKatie[3]

Endnotes:
  1. They seem pretty used to mom’s shenanigans by now though. Just Kidding! They weren’t actually in the car, but it makes for great ad: http://mashable.com/2015/02/17/momkhana-ken-block/
  2. [Image]: https://rightwingnews1.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/momkhana_t.jpg
  3. @GOPKatie: http://twitter.com/GOPKatie

Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/craaaaazy/momkhana-one-mom-gives-her-minivan-the-ken-block-treatment/