(4/1992)

"Vacancy," "The Pitch" + "Take Over" [01:30]# The stories told in these spots for the Royal Nederland PTT are the kind of executive world scenarios so ubiquitous in the 80s, but it is the exciting, original camera work that makes them such extremely riveting viewing. The three spots are set in major world cities and shot in the original language, with subtitles providing the translation. In "Vacancy," a group of executives eagerly await the arrival of an important man. They have been given 10 minutes to make proposals on who is to take up the vacant post of International Marketing Director. The magnate cuts them short. He himself has found just the man. The phone rings. Now it's the boss's turn to be crushed. "Who's he gone to, then?" he splutters. Super: "Royal PTT Nederland NV>" In "The Pitch," we witness the tense minutes as a company is about to learn whether they have won a certain multimillion dollar business. As it turns out, the winner is not the American company we see but the Royal PTT Nederland. In "Takeover," a Japanese tycoon is fawned over in his Rolls by a businessman who rattles off facts about "something special" they've found in Europe. "Active in business and consumer markets, assertive management turnover 15 billion net profit 15 billion etc. Just the thing to take over, he claims. The magnate glances at the report, and hands it back. There is just one problem, he says. "They're not for sale." Super: "Royal PTT Nederland NV." Over the wretched sidekick who appears to be planning hara-kire.