THE SOCK PIG

Bronze eurobest Award
TitleTHE SOCK PIG
BrandOTTO (GMBH & CO KG)
Product/ServiceOTTO / AEG WASHING MACHINES
Category A02. Script
Entrant OTTO Hamburg, GERMANY
Idea Creation JUNG VON MATT Hamburg, GERMANY
Production BIGFISH FILMPRODUKTION Berlin, GERMANY
Credits
Name Company Position
Dörte Spengler-Ahrens Jung von Matt AG Executive Creative Director
Florentin Hock Jung von Matt AG Creative Director
Markus Ölschläger Jung von Matt AG Copywriter
Michael Wilde Jung von Matt AG Art Director
Tim Brack Jung von Matt AG Art Director
Stephan Giest Jung von Matt AG Account Executive
Franziska Kramer Jung von Matt AG Account Director
Jonas Wiechmann Jung von Matt AG Project Manager
Dennis Wendt Jung von Matt AG Agency Producer
Oliver Marquardt BIGFISH Filmproduktion GmbH Producer
Sven Werner Combé BIGFISH Filmproduktion GmbH Director
Björn Knechtel BIGFISH Filmproduktion GmbH Cameraman
Claudia Sembach BIGFISH Filmproduktion GmbH Other Credits
Alex Jurkat BIGFISH Filmproduktion GmbH Editor
Sabine Panek BIGFISH Filmproduktion GmbH Editor

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

The online film “The Sock Pig” is the story of a shrewd and savvy entrepreneur from the Franconian province, who created a business idea around his unique pet. Thomas Göbel and his specially trained truffle pig, hunt down lost socks for his clients; a service for which a high price is charged. The business is successful, until people start replacing their washing machines with ones from OTTO.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Humorously, the film tells a tale which solves the mystery of how socks become lost in washing machines. The story takes place Franconia – a cultural region of Germany that stretches across Northern Bavaria – and all characters speak in their local, Franconian dialect. Furthermore, characteristics of that particular province and its people are mocked, such as their consumption of wine (for which the region is well known), their love of afternoon coffee and cake (with whipped cream), amongst others.

Provide the full film script in English.

We open in a Franconian village. A man exits his house with a pig on a leash. (Super:) The sock pig He walks it through the village. We here the VO. (Thomas Göbel:) “I am Thomas Göbel. I am the owner of Germany’s only sock pig. For years, I was a washing machine technician.“ Cut to Thomas sitting in a bakery with his pig. He eats a piece of cake and continues to tell the story. (Thomas Göbel:) “And when I noticed that Mary loved to hunt down my socks, I realized that it could be a business model. And we’ve been self-employed ever since. I trained her myself. Mary is just like a rewired truffle pig.” Cut to Thomas and Mary walking up to a client’s front door. He rings the doorbell. (Thomas Göbel:) “Let’s go and see Mrs Röschert.” Cut back to the bakery. The pig eats up all the cake. (Thomas Göbel:) “Seek and save. Please, just help yourself.” He turns around and addresses the bakery sales assistant. (Thomas Göbel:) “Natascha! Could I have another piece of cake – with extra cream, please?” Cut to inside the client’s house. Mrs Röschert guides Thomas through her house. (Mrs Röschert:) “I baked a cake and made some coffee!” (Thomas Göbel:) “No!” (Mrs Röschert:) “I sure did!” (Thomas Göbel:) “Oh, Mrs Röschert! (Mrs Röschert:) “I know how much you love this cake!” They walk by her husband who sits in an armchair with an annoyed expression on his face. (Thomas Göbel:) “Greetings, Mr Röschert.” Cut to Mrs Röschert speaking to a camera. (Mrs Röschert:) “Yes, so this story about the sock pig, it’s something truly special. We’re really proud that Thomas lives in our village.” She starts to serve him some cake. (Thomas Göbel:) “Can I have a little more cream, please?” (Mrs Röschert:) “Ah sure! Don’t skimp – we’ve got even more in the kitchen!” The two of them have a little chat while they eat. (Mrs Röschert:) “I was in Kitzingen last week. I bought new socks and they’re all lost already!” (Thomas Göbel:) “No!” (Mrs Röschert:) “I have no clue where they always end up.” (Thomas Göbel:) “Well, let me show you.” They get up and she shows him and his pig the way to the laundry room in the backyard. (Thomas Göbel:) “Let me help you, here.” (Mrs Röschert:) “Thanks, Thomas!” They walk down the stairs. Mary is determined to go for the washing machine. (Thomas Göbel:) “Wonderful! We’re right here! Okay, Mary. Let’s go!” Mary detects something in the washing machine. (Thomas Göbel:) “She’s got something!” (Mrs Röschert:) “Oh!” Thomas squats down next to his pig to see what is going on. (Thomas Göbel:) “Mary, let me see. Yeah, there’s a lot in there.“ Cut back to the bakery from the beginning. Thomas addresses the interviewer behind the camera. (Thomas Göbel:) “The pig can’t really do anything! Socks always end up in the washing machine. As a washing machine technician, I know what I’m talking about.” Cut back to the scene with Mrs Röschert. (Thomas Göbel:) “We have to open it. Let’s just get on with it.” They look at each other disappointedly. He starts to open up the washing machine and retrieves the missing socks. (Thomas Göbel:) “Yeah it’s stuck. I can feel that. There they are!” He pulls them out, slowly. (Thomas Göbel:) “Number one!” (Mrs Röschert:) “Ahaha! Wow.“ (Thomas Göbel:) “Here we have a double feature!” (Mrs Röschert laughs nervously) (Thomas Göbel:) “Let’s have a look in the back!” (Mrs Röschert:) “Aha.” (Thomas Göbel:) “Bingo! Here we go!” He immediately transitions to the payment procedure. (Thomas Göbel:) “Mrs Röschert, let’s say it’s ... 1.256 €. Including the drive here.” Cut to the kitchen table. Mrs Röschert hits her piggy bank with a hammer to retrieve the money. (Mrs Röschert:) “One thousand ...” She pays him. (Mrs Röschert:) “Bye!” (Thomas Göbel:) “See you!” Thomas enters his yellow Lamborghini with his pig. They drive through the village. (Thomas Göbel:) “Of course for some people it’s hard to swallow when they see the bill. But I’m not a charity. I also have to live!” He races through the landscape. (Thomas Göbel:) “Wow, can you smell this? That’s the abrasion!” He turns into a driveway, gets out of the sportscar and walks to the door with Mary. Then he rings the bell. A woman opens the door. (Annette:) “Thomas!” (Thomas Göbel:) “Annette! Hi!” The man and his pig enter the house. (Thomas Göbel:) “Is Thorsten [Her husband] home?” (Annette:) “No, Thorsten is not here. He’s at work.” Cut into them talking in the kitchen while Mary is impatient. (Annette, to the camera crew:) “Do you guys also want coffee or a cake?” (Thomas Göbel:) “No, they don’t need anything.” (Annette:) “Do you want a cup of coffee?” (Thomas Göbel:) “Sure!” We see them interacting more closely. (Thomas Göbel:) “That’s a nice blouse!” (Annette:) “Thanks!” (Thomas Göbel:) “I really like it!” (Annette:) “Thank you.” They chat a little about the sock situation of the family while keeping intense eye contact. (Annette:) “Then he’s mad again. When his football socks are gone. When he has practice. And then I’m the idiot.” (Thomas Göbel:) “But this is why I am here, Annette. So that we can search for them.” Mary, Thomas and Annette walk down the stairs. She shows them around the basement and he acknowledges the interior. (Thomas Göbel:) “Mhm.” Cut to the house bar. Annette serves Thomas some drinks. (Annette:) “Would you like a glass of wine?” (Thomas Göbel:) “Annette, sure!“ He downs the glas of wine. (Annette:) “Do you also want a schnapps?” (Thomas Göbel:) ”Annette, I still have to drive!” They take a shot together at the bar. Cut to the laundry room. Thomas hides a treat for Mary inside the washing machine. (Thomas Göbel:) “Annette, would you come here? You have to see this!” She joins the man and the pig. (Annette:) “What’s up?” (Thomas Göbel:) “Mary found something!” The pig sniffs around the washing machine. (Thomas Göbel:) “This is not looking good!” He pulls out a dirty sock. (Annette:) “Wow! Incredible!” Cut. She counts cash on the washing machine. (Annette:) “One hundred ...” Cut. Thomas and Annette come out of the bedroom, both with messed up hair. They hug and kiss each other goodbye. (Thomas Göbel:) “Nice, Annette.” (Annette:) “Yeah, this was nice.” (Thomas Göbel:) “I gotta go.” Cut to Thomas in his sports car. He races trough the beautiful vineyards of Franconia. (Thomas Göbel:) “Hahaha! Faster, baby! Yeah!“ He drives into another village. (Thomas Göbel:) “Now, we’re visiting Petra. She’s a good customer.” When he wants to pull up Petra’s driveway, he spots the OTTO delivery men. (Thomas Göbel:) “What’s going on here? I can’t believe it. It’s the fifth time this week. They’re ruining my whole business! Hey!“ He gets out of the car and wants a reaction from his client Petra in front of her garage, while the guys from OTTO are bringing her new washing machine. (Thomas Göbel:) “Answer me, Petra! Why do you need a new washing machine? I was here last week. I did a clean-out! It is running smoothly! And now you’re ordering a new washing machine?” (Petra:) “Yes, cause it’s not working! I have to call you all the time! That’s bothering me!” (Thomas Göbel:) “You know what’s bothering me?” He points at the OTTO delivery men. (Thomas Göbel:) “These knob heads! They bring these boxes all the time!”” The OTTO men bump into Thomas. (Thomas Göbel:) “Uh, hello?” (OTTO delivery man:) “Excuse me, we need to pass.” (Thomas Göbel:) “Sure.” Thomas stands in their way once again and they bump into him. (Thomas Göbel:) “Uhm, hello? A new person is starting here!” Cut. The two OTTO guys manage to pass him and carry Petra’s new washing machine into the house. (Thomas Göbel:) “You can take it back! Return, please! Hello! I’m talking to you, my friend.” Cut into the house. The delivery men install the new gadget. Thomas tries to convince Petra one more time and comes really close to her. (Thomas Göbel:) “The L8FE74485? Petra, this is bullshit. Now, listen to me. We’ve known each other for so long. We got history together.” (Petra:) “Heiko! Heiko, come down here!” (Thomas Göbel:) “This moron doesn’t need to show up.” Petra’s husband Heiko runs down the stairs. (Heiko:) “Göbel?” (Thomas Göbel:) “What’s your problem?” Heiko pushes the pig owner away from his wife. (Heiko:) “Take your dirty hands away from my wife! Take your sock pig and get out! Listen to me, you idiot!” Heiko starts to wrestle his opponent. The two men get on the ground and fight. Heiko tries to climb on top of Thomas. (Petra:) “Heiko! Hit him hard!” (Heiko:) “I’ll make sausage out of your pig! Petra! Help!“ (Thomas Göbel:) “Outch!” Thomas tries to free himself but Petra hits head with Styrofoam. The fighters bump against the new washing machine. Heiko claws his hands into Thomas’ face. (Heiko:) “Who’s on top? Say it!” (Thomas Göbel:) “It’s Heiko! “ Cut. Heiko holds Thomas tight and releases him outside in the driveway. (Heiko:) “Piss off!“ Cut into the house. The OTTO delivery men have finished their job and say goodbye to Petra. (Petra:) “Do you want some coffee?” (OTTO delivery man:) “No, thanks. We have another appointment.” (Petra:) “Thank you!” They leave the house. Petra and Heiko stand in their driveway while Thomas looks at them furiously and gets back into his sports car. He backs out of the street. (Thomas Göbel:) “It’s like a slap in the face. When every second person orders at OTTO ...” Cut back into Thomas and Mary in the bakery in the very beginning. (Thomas Göbel:) “... then I can shut down my business.” Cut. Mary is tied onto a tree. Thomas drives away in his car and abandons his pig. (Thomas Göbel:) “In that moment, you only see the dark side.” Cut back into the bakery. He speaks into the camera. (Thomas Göbel:) “Don’t let your emotions sway you.” Cut back to the abandoned pig. Thomas backs his car back to the spot. Cut back into the bakery. (Thomas Göbel:) “I’ve been thinking about a new business model. I’ll go for metals.” Cut to Thomas driving his car into the sunset. (Thomas Göbel:) “No more socks. I’ll go for heavy metals. Yeah.” Cut back into the bakery. (Thomas Göbel:) “Life goes on.” He sprays whipped cream directly from the can into his mouth. Cut to him walking Mary in the village. (Super:) AEG washing machines starting at €399. Now on otto.de (Logo:) OTTO