Emando/mandos in hartford ad

[delsbrother]

In a recent issue of Smithsonian magazine, there was a double-page spread for Hartford insurance featuring this picture - is that an Ellis emando? If not, anyone know the maker?



Seems like it could have been made by the same maker who produced the "double cutaway" mandolins in the case in the background. This is obviously a real shop somewhere... Anyone know where?

[Jim MacDaniel]

(Just thinking out loud.) Can you tell from the ad, what advertising company produced it? If so, maybe they can tell you where the shoot was.

[jefflester]

Work appears to be blocking photobucket, so I can't see the pics.

But is this the same ad I posted about last October?
Ad in newsweek with funny mandolins

[delsbrother]

Ah, yes... I did a search for Hartford and it didn't bring up that thread, sorry (don't know if it's just me, but Search only works for me about 80% of the time).

I was wondering if this would be the right forum in which to list the question, as I wasn't sure if it had more emando or "lump scroll" interest. I guess your thread covers the latter...

There seem to be several different types in that case (love the one with the Shutt-like cutaway), so you'd think the shape would ring a bell with someone - especially if they were made by the same person that did the emando.

I'm guessing the photo is just a stock photo image, so I doubt if even the ad agency would know where it was taken. I can't find any evidence of the agency name, in any case.

[jefflester]

There seem to be several different types in that case (love the one with the Shutt-like cutaway), so you'd think the shape would ring a bell with someone - especially if they were made by the same person that did the emando.

I just can't imagine those double-lump mandos are real. I mean c'mon. :-) Must be some sort of photoshop.

The two that have the brightest gold tailpiece covers also have exactly the same white reflections of the fluorescent lights in the pickguards. And the headstock of the one right in the middle looks so fake. Nobody would really make a headstock that looks like that, would they?

But then I don't know why someone would go to the trouble of faking mandolins for some ad.

[jefflester]

In a recent issue of Smithsonian magazine, there was a double-page spread for Hartford insurance featuring this picture - is that an Ellis emando? If not, anyone know the maker?

Does Ellis make emandos? Nothing at that website and not mentioned at emando

[mrmando]

The agency is probably Campbell Mithun, which has done other print work for The Hartford.

Ad agency Web sites are notorious for looking good and having whiz-bang graphic functions, and offering virtually no practical information. I did find one e-mail address -- websitefeedback@cmithun.com -- so I might drop them a quick line about the image.

It could be that someone at the photo house or ad agency was aware that Gibson holds some design patents on F5s, and Photoshopped the images to avoid either (1) having to pay royalties or (2) free advertising for Gibson. Maybe Hartford doesn't want a bunch of other brands/products in its ads.

Tom Ellis doesn't make electrics as far as I know.

[mrmando]

And come to think of it, that could be a blond acoustic with the F-holes Photoshopped out. I mean, I don't see a pickup or a cable.

[delsbrother]

Hmmm... I just pulled Ellis out of my *** - maybe it was Elliot? #Allison? I forgot the name of the ones D*le was hoarding... The green ones? I just seem to remember a "double L" sounding name...

I have a hard time believing anyone would take the time to fake all that stuff, but those reflections are awfully fishy. As for the peghead shapes, one looks kinda like a Monteleone and the other ((f)ugly) one looks kinda S-V/Kay/Old Kraftsman...

I think the photo's allure is the "Grandpa going guitar shopping with Johnny" so I don't have a problem with Johnny not plugged in - heck, all those guys on American Bandstand weren't plugged in either and we never accused them of using stage props. #Maybe it's an endpin jack we just can't see? Though I agree the color looks to be unnaturally pumped up.

As to free ads - Grandpa's obviously got a Strat ™ in his hands... If they were going to go through all that for the background you'd have thought they would do the same for the foreground.

Or not.

[Dfyngravity]

to me it looks to be an 8 string mandolin of some sort. maybe it has side ports or some sort of internal pickup...it's just a photo so it doesn't mean they are really playing so maybe no chord was needed. Looks cool though.

[mrmando]

You're thinkin' Ed Elliott. If it were an Elliott you could see the pickup. I realize this ain't exactly a smoking gun, but Grandpa's Strat has a cable, so why shouldn't Junior's mandolin, if it's electric?