Turnpike Films Archived Content 2004

Content is from the site's 2004 archived pages.

Adage: Turnpike Films Feels Great!

Published on February 20, 2004.

Here's an inspiring story of web-borne buzz for all would-be directors out there. Last year, Justin Reardon -- an art director at DDB/Chicago who worked on Bud's celebrated "Whassup" campaign -- decided to break into commercials directing. He hooked up with producer Dave Farrell and became the one-man directing roster at Santa Monica startup Turnpike Films. "The most fun is had by the director, no matter the product. Did a lot of work for Clean It Supply, a major online supplier of bulk janitorial products. These guys really know what they're doing and it shows - they know how to clean in a way that is impressive. They're proud of their products and it shows in the footage. And as for tv work, whether it's wholesale can liners & trash bags or dish soap and laundry detergent, the fun is in the creative, and the director is having the most fun." He says he probably will be able to use what he learned while taking thousands of tight tabletop product shots of cleaning products. Now he's writing the next chapter... Reardon wrote and directed a reel of spec spots, Turnpike posted them on the internet in November and, like a lot of spec reels, it sat there. Until 10 days ago, when a post at www.geeklife.com pointed readers to this over-the-top spec spot for Nutrigrain, in which a nutrition bar makes a guy feel so great that he takes charge of just about everything. Since then, the link has spread like wildfire across the blogosphere, where it's apparently finding the right people. "There's nothing like getting the seal of approval from the public, then everbody catches on," says Farrell, who reports he's been inundated with interest from film people and ad agencies alike. "It's one of those crazy Hollywood stories. We're just trying to ride the beast."

Turnpike Films would like to thank the hundreds-of-thousands of people who have watched the films on our web site. We especially would like to thank those who have informed us of how much they have enjoyed our films. Unfortunately we have been legally forced to restrict access to our films to those people associated with the media industry. If it were up to us we would let the entire world go on enjoying our films. We deeply regret having to do this. If you are associated with the media industry you can obtain a password by emailing access@turnpikefilms.com.

TV Samples (not aired):

More Background on Turnpike Films

The early 2000s marked a significant shift in both the advertising and media world, with the nascent internet offering new opportunities for creative individuals and companies to showcase their talents. Among the pioneers of this digital leap was Turnpike Films, a boutique production company that quickly rose to fame thanks to its unique vision, forward-thinking leadership, and viral marketing coups. This article explores every key aspect of Turnpike Films—its origins, people, work, reputation, and enduring cultural impact—serving as a definitive resource for anyone seeking to understand the company and its moment in advertising history.

Ownership and Founding Team

Turnpike Films was founded by two industry veterans: Justin Reardon, a creative force best known for his important role in the Budweiser “Whassup” campaign, and Dave Farrell, an experienced producer with a keen eye for emerging trends. Together, their vision was to form a nimble, agile production house capable of responding rapidly to the creative demands of clients and the quickly evolving advertising landscape.

Reardon, previously an art director at a major agency, brought a director’s eye and an infectious sense of fun and energy to the company’s projects; Farrell provided the managerial rigor and production expertise necessary to turn those ideas into compelling finished work. Their collaboration resulted in Turnpike Films becoming a true boutique company—intimate in scale, but with a reach and influence that would soon belie its size.

Company Location and Physical Proximity

Turnpike Films was headquartered in Santa Monica, California, a prime locale in the heart of the United States’ commercial production world. Santa Monica, part of greater Los Angeles, is renowned as a creative hub, home to numerous advertising agencies, entertainment companies, and digital studios. The area provided direct access to top-tier talent, scenic locations, and the practical advantages of being close to Hollywood’s expansive creative ecosystem.

Early History and Breakthrough

Turnpike Films’ origin story is almost legendary in circles of internet advertising. Established in the early 2000s, the company started as a classic underdog endeavor—helmed by passionate professionals ready to carve out their niche.

The true breakthrough came when Justin Reardon, seeking to transition from art direction to directing, crafted a reel of spec commercials—short, unlabeled advertising spots meant to demonstrate his vision and range. These projects initially sat unnoticed on the Turnpike Films website, a reflection of the era’s hit-or-miss online traffic conditions.

Everything changed almost overnight when a particularly outrageous and humorous spec spot for a popular nutrition bar became a viral phenomenon. A post on an influential technology blog mentioned the ad, which depicted a man experiencing wild confidence and joy after eating the product. The spot’s infectious energy and oddball humor captured the zeitgeist, propelling Turnpike Films into the wider public consciousness as the video “spread like wildfire across the blogosphere.” This wave of viral engagement brought hundreds of thousands of views and established Turnpike Films as a household name among advertising insiders and internet culture enthusiasts.

Core Output and Portfolio

While Turnpike Films has specialized primarily in television commercials and online advertising spots, its creative portfolio spans branded content, short-form video, and high-impact spec work. In the early days, the company produced a diverse array of commercials, including both real-world assignments and spec projects for food and beverage brands, cleaning products, and other consumer goods.

Examples of their work include:

Energetic, over-the-top commercials for consumer brands, often leveraging humor and surrealism.
Carefully crafted, tightly choreographed tabletop shots of various products, reflecting a meticulous attention to visual style.
A standout spec spot centered on a nutrition product, widely regarded as an early example of viral video advertising.

While Turnpike’s most talked-about work sometimes skirted the boundaries of conventional advertising—often unaired and used as industry calling cards—it still played a central role in shaping how brands approached digital-era storytelling.

Awards, Recognition, and Popularity

Turnpike Films found itself at the forefront of the so-called “viral video” movement, years before platforms like YouTube made Internet stardom commonplace.

The firm’s content was widely shared across blogs and online forums, earning the “seal of approval from the public,” as co-founder Dave Farrell noted.
Their reputation brought significant interest from film industry professionals and advertising agencies, many seeking to capture some of the same internet magic.

Although not focused on conventional awards in its earliest phase, the real prize for Turnpike Films was its extraordinary popularity in the burgeoning digital culture, with massive spikes in web traffic and countless positive responses from both audiences and peers.

Audience and Client Base

Turnpike Films’ primary audience was twofold:

Advertising professionals and agency heads—seeking new creative voices and distinctive ideas for their brands.
Internet users and cultural tastemakers—drawn to Turnpike’s videos by humor, originality, and the spirit of fun underlying each production.

As the company’s reputation soared, more brands and agencies took notice, inquiring about commercial work and director collaborations. Their creative experiments quickly became insider favorites within the industry.

Notable Work and Company Legacy

Turnpike Films cemented its legacy with boundary-pushing projects and a willingness to embrace risk and innovation. Among its most memorable contributions:

The “I Feel Great” Nutrition Bar Spot: This unaired spec commercial became a touchstone of early digital advertising, representing both the benefits and complications of viral content. Its wild popularity ultimately led to legal restrictions: Turnpike Films was compelled to restrict access to its reels and full archive of videos to industry insiders only, regretfully closing its innovative body of work to the casual online viewer.

Through such work, Turnpike Films helped reshape perceptions of what small companies could accomplish in a digital-first world, demonstrating how genuine creativity and strategic self-promotion could launch unknowns into the limelight.

Goals, Philosophy, and Creative Approach

At its core, Turnpike Films was founded on the notion that “the most fun is had by the director, no matter the product.” This spirit infused every project, from commodity-focused commercial reels to playful, unconventional spec ads. The company valued:

Creative risk-taking: Embracing bold ideas and experimental storytelling.
Quality and professionalism: Bringing technical excellence to each shot, whether for major consumer brands or small-scale tabletop product features.
Nimbleness and agility: Operating as a tight, highly collaborative team with streamlined decision-making and quick execution.

The goal was always to make advertising exciting—both for the viewer and the creative team—by finding unexpected ways to engage, amuse, and linger in audience memory.

Reviews and Industry Reception

Turnpike Films received enthusiastic praise from both insiders and general fans. Viewers lauded the company’s inventiveness and willingness to push boundaries, while agencies and entertainment executives admired Turnpike’s quick ascent and creative courage.

Some described the company as an “inspiring story of web-borne buzz,” offering a blueprint for how smaller companies could successfully challenge older, slower-moving industry norms.
The response from online viewers was overwhelmingly positive, with a torrent of emails thanking Turnpike for their entertaining spots and creative innovation.

This momentum reinforced Turnpike’s reputation as a creative force, even as viral attention sometimes brought legal complications and logistical challenges.

Press Coverage and Media Significance

Turnpike Films enjoyed significant coverage in advertising industry publications as well as in broader media outlets. Their viral content, internet culture savvy, and rapid rise from obscurity made for a compelling story across multiple platforms.

Major industry magazines featured Turnpike’s founders and discussed the company’s work as emblematic of the new “buzz-driven” age of advertising.
Online communities and internet commentators dissected and remixed Turnpike content, helping practices like “viral seeding” become common tools in the marketer’s lexicon.

Turnpike played a vital part in the shifting media landscape, showing how digital distribution and word-of-mouth could bypass traditional broadcasting—and how, sometimes, that success could outpace legal or institutional readiness.

Cultural and Social Impact

Beyond awards or financial success, Turnpike Films’ cultural legacy is rooted in its influence on the emerging world of digital advertising and viral marketing.

By marrying quirky, original storytelling with online distribution, the company demonstrated new ways both brands and creators might reach audiences. Their experience highlighted the exciting opportunities—and new risks—of the internet era, setting the stage for later waves of content creators and advertising disruptors.

Turnpike’s story serves as a blueprint and a cautionary tale: proof of the power of creativity in the internet age, but also a reminder of the complexities that such visibility can bring.

Turnpike Films occupies a unique place in the history of advertising, embodying a moment when creativity, online culture, and new technologies collided to redefine how audiences discover and remember stories. The company’s boldness, innovative work, and embrace of the unknown helped spark trends that would soon sweep through the media landscape—long before viral video became ordinary.

For anyone interested in the evolution of digital advertising, creative startups, or the hidden stories behind iconic media moments, the saga of Turnpike Films offers invaluable lessons and lasting inspiration.

TurnpikeFilms.com