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Go Inside Doc Brown's lab in Garbarino's latest 'Back to the Future' ad with Christopher Lloyd

by Oliver Holler and Stephen Clark
September 6, 2011

Garbarino's latest ‘episode’ of Doc Brown’s adventures in Argentina shows him exploring the wonders of the electronics store, fascinated with the advancements in technology of the future.  By far, this is the most ambitious commercial spot yet, involving location shoots both inside and outside of the store, as well as an elaborate studio set.
 
As seen in the original viral clip, Doc notices the cell phone camera held by the young man who captures video of his grand entrance in the DeLorean Time Machine. Wandering about the store, Doc talks directly to the viewer, explaining that he has been asked to be the ‘new face’ of the latest Garbarino campaign. (Perhaps as compensation for his incident!)  He reacts to seeing 3D television for the very first time, as well as large format flat screens, cell phones, and tablets.  A comical juxtaposition results when he compares his early experimental contraptions in the 80’s (seen in flashbacks) with modern day counterparts. 
 

 
For the commercial, a spectacular recreation of Doc Brown’s garage/laboratory was built, full of vintage electronics filling lots of shelves, chemistry glass, books, and of course, clocks. As a clever inside joke, the set designer even included a partially disassembled pinball machine, which fans will recognize as a reference from the first movie! Look closely and you may spot an electrical cord from some of the appliances and notice they are all angle-bladed 220v Argentine plugs for the outlets used in Buenos Aires!
 
Some creative license has been taken by the artists in order to introduce the audience to additional areas of the space, and inventions of the scientist, however, the essence of Doc Brown’s world is well intact.  A giant speaker (the one Marty will overload later!) dominates one area of the garage, and the DeLorean Time Machine is parked inside, still under construction.  Several elaborate props were fabricated for this commercial, including a ‘smartphone’ prototype involving a telephone, Polaroid instant camera, fax machine, satellite antennae, and other gizmos.  Doc also wrestles with his early attempt of an iPad-type tablet, only the large 1980’s components result in an unwieldy size, hardly allowing him to load it into the DeLorean.  Something resembling a large, flat screen TV is found in one area of the lab, however, with the absence of micro electronic components, it is revealed that the majority of the television protrudes through the wall outside, exposed in the rainy alley!
 
Again, the attention to detail in the props for this segment are spectacular.  The trash cans sitting in the alley portion of the set were hand constructed, since typical United States style trash cans are not common in Argentina!  Special effects were rigged to make the TV spark on cue.  Two water nozzles were hung overhead to provide plenty of rain, and brooms helped keep the resulting floods moving in the right direction -- out the soundstage door! 
 
As before, BTTF.com's exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the filming of this clip are posted below:
 


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