Chapter 9: The Ad Shoot
Mr. Monaghan entered the studio with the same stern expression as the day before. The scene inside was almost identical to yesterday, except that Dudley's camera was now positioned closer to the backdrop poster.
"Good morning, Mr. Monaghan," Apollo greeted cheerfully, looking in good spirits. A few white girls followed behind him, and he seemed unfazed by the previous day's setbacks, even smiling slightly.
"So, Mr. Apollo, have you come up with a new idea?" Mr. Monaghan got straight to the point, not interested in any small talk.
Apollo shrugged and patted his belly. "Of course, Mr. Monaghan. The new idea goes like this..."
As he recalled what Ethan had said, he explained the concept to Mr. Monaghan. Despite some stumbles, he managed to convey the general idea. To add credibility, he even sketched a rough outline of the ad.
Although his drawing skills were terrible—making the characters look like monsters and the pizza like a tangled mess—the white girls behind him felt a bit embarrassed. However, Mr. Monaghan didn't immediately dismiss the idea. Instead, he stared at the awful drawing in deep thought. It wasn't until Apollo watched him anxiously for a minute that he snapped back to reality.
"So, Mr. Monaghan, what do you think?" Apollo asked nervously. The intense criticism from Mr. Monaghan the day before had left him scared of further outbursts.
The other staff members also turned their attention toward Mr. Monaghan, eagerly awaiting his response. They saw him shake his head as if he wasn't satisfied with the idea.
"Oh... damn," Jimmy muttered from a distance, sweating as he smacked a lampshade.
Apollo and Dudley sighed in disappointment, thinking the ad campaign might be doomed.
But the next second, Mr. Monaghan clapped his hands and laughed, "I've been thinking about it, and I can't figure out how to improve it! It's a flawless concept!"
"Wow!" Jimmy's eyes widened, and the other staff members cheered after a brief moment of confusion.
Dudley whistled and kissed his camera, while Apollo's smile returned as he hugged one of the white girls beside him.
"This is great. It's truly a fantastic idea," Mr. Monaghan praised before turning to Apollo, holding up the sketch. "Look at this—the separation is a brilliant idea! The pizza, placed on the left, looks as big as a person! The toppings are clearly visible too.
"And the cowgirl on the right, against the mountain background, contrasts perfectly with the store environment on the left, subtly suggesting that the two locations are far apart!"
"Yes, exactly," Apollo nodded, pretending that this was exactly what he had intended.
But Mr. Monaghan wasn't finished.
"But the most crucial part is the piece of pizza in the girl's mouth! It's pulling a string of cheese that connects it to the main pizza. I think this implies two things: first, it shows that our pizzas have plenty of cheese! Second, it suggests our delivery speed is fast—even over such a long distance, the pizza can still pull a string of cheese! Apollo, am I right?"
Apollion wasn't sure how to respond—damn, he didn't even know what the idea meant himself!
"Of course... uh... but the idea isn't entirely mine! Hey, Jimmy, Ethan!" Apollo called out, and Jimmy quickly dragged Ethan over.
In the dressing room not far away, Scarlett, waiting for the ad shoot, stood up and walked to the door when she heard the director's call. She watched as Ethan was pushed into the crowd, realizing that it was this mixed-race guy who came up with the idea that Mr. Monaghan had approved.
Her agent, Brian, came over and smiled. "Looks like you won't have to hide your face behind a pizza anymore."
"I can't believe he actually pulled it off," Scarlett raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"What?" Brian asked, not hearing her clearly.
"Nothing," Scarlett shook her head and looked outside again.
"Ethan here is the guy who came up with the idea," Apollo said, pulling Ethan closer. "Tell Mr. Monaghan how you came up with such a brilliant idea."
Ethan nodded and smiled as he explained, "Actually, this idea came from extending what Mr. Apollio and you had already thought of. I just refined it a bit and changed the format. I must also thank Mr. Apollo for his guidance."
Apollo was very pleased with Ethan's response, finding him increasingly likable. He had seen many young guys who were quick to showcase their talent, but this was Hollywood! This was the place where teamwork and collaboration were essential! What good was a great idea if you couldn't bring it to life? Were you planning to do everything yourself without relying on anyone else?
All it took was one person to trip them up, and those reckless young men would often find themselves bogged down in endless disputes and tedious work, eventually fading into obscurity.
Mr. Monaghan, impressed by Ethan's answer, also smiled in appreciation. "You deserve the credit—no need to be so modest."
He picked up the chaotic sketch again, "Look at it—so wonderful! It's big, fast, and full of cheese. I'm sure this outdoor ad will make anyone who sees it hungry!"
"Even though your drawing is really terrible—almost as bad as the Pizza Hut logo," Mr. Monaghan joked.
Apollo laughed heartily, boasting, "Domino's is going to sell like crazy in New York!"
But the next second, Mr. Monaghan countered, "No, not just New York! I'm going to put this ad up all over the United States. Before we go public, I want everyone in the country to know about Domino's!" Mr. Monaghan got more excited as he spoke, spitting on Apollon's face.
"Then let's start shooting right away!" Apollo grabbed the microphone, eager to begin.
"Let's do it. I can't wait to see this ad up on the roadside outside!" Mr. Monaghan agreed, and the studio quickly sprang into action.
Scarlett, dressed in a sexy cowgirl outfit, posed as if she were eating pizza, though her hands were empty. The piece of pizza with the cheese pull would be added later in the form of an external ad board, so Scarlett had to constantly adjust her posture to leave room for it in the future.
"Yes, great! Turn slightly to the left!" Dudley directed Scarlett to move back and forth, looking for the best pose.
Meanwhile, Ethan rotated the light to ensure Scarlett's face wasn't obscured by shadows.
As for Jimmy? He could only watch from the side, helping out with moving the lights when needed. In terms of lighting, he had completely become Ethan's assistant.
The ad shoot went quickly and smoothly, with Scarlett's face fully exposed to the camera and every detail captured perfectly. The pizza shots were simple and easy too.
By noon, the outdoor ad was wrapped up.
When Apollo announced that the shoot was done, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Once Mr. Monaghan left the studio, the mood lightened considerably. Even as they packed up the props, the crew started planning their evening drinks.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Jimmy had been pulled over to the director's side, surrounded by Dudley and a group of beautiful white girls.