Quriosity’s Lumpkin producing the AICP Show
When Quriosity senior producer Jennifer Lumpkin attended her first AICP Show at the Cultural Center four years ago, she was “overwhelmed” and remembers thinking, “It was gorgeous and so inspiring.”
On Thursday, Nov. 17, she’ll be at the show as its executive producer.
Next year, Lumpkin will take over producing the entire Chicago AICP Show when she replaces longtime producer Gayle McCormick, who will step down after five years to accommodate her growing responsibilities as executive producer at Ogilvy.
Lumpkin, who was one of several producers who volunteered to produce the show, planned to shadow McCormick this year and produce it in 2017. But two days ago McCormick flew to China on a production assignment for the agency and Lumpkin found herself in last minute preparations. Fortunately, she has 12 to 15 volunteers to assure another successful show.
Outside of New York, Chicago hosts the biggest AICP Show, when more than 1,200 advertising and production guests celebrate the Art and Technique of the American Commercial.
AICP Midwest President Mark Androw of STORY, an AICP member, board member and officer for 27 years, remembers how the annual tradition was born. “Radical Media’s Jon Kamen suggested a show without first, second or third places, no gold, silver or bronze prizes, no speeches,” Androw relates.
“Just something that just highlighted the best work and honored the cinematographers, editors, directors, writers and all the people who contribute to the craft of commercial production.”
The AICP Show Reel, 80-minutes of the best international commercials, is preceded by a sponsor reel — brought in this year by producer Sandy Gordon — that incorporates the logos of every business helping to make the show happen. Helmed by Quriosity’s comedic director Kenneth Yoder, Lumpkin describes the reel as a “live action comedic narrative” that includes a cameo of her dog, Boone. CRC’s Mark Ruff engineered audio and The Mill’s Luke Morrison was the colorist.
