Herding Cats (commercial)

Cat Herders is an award-winning commercial made by Fallon for Electronic Data Systems (EDS). Alluding to the management-speak idiom "It's like herding cats" that refers to the impossibility of controlling the uncontrollable, it posits an analogy between herding cats and the solution of seemingly impossible problems by EDS.

Using a "giant Western metaphor", it features "grizzled cowboys" herding thousands of cats across the Montana prairie, terminating in the satisfactory resolution "EDSolved". The commercial was shown on 30 January 2000 at the Super Bowl XXXIV and was cited by Then-President Bill Clinton as his favorite commercial.

EDS retained Fallon in 1999 to create a campaign with strong brand awareness with a dual purpose: to change the company's image for present and future growth and also to improve the morale and self-image of its employees. Fulfilling this remit, the advertisement "gave EDS employees an image that was serious, despite the humor of the commercial, and it highlighted EDS’s problem-solving capabilities for its customers."

The title "Cat Herders" applied to both the initial advertisement and the campaign, which was presented as a trilogy. The two sequels, "Airplane" and "Running with Squirrels", had visual impact but did not replicate the success of "Cat Herders".

Authentic cowboys were required, and a casting call was put out across Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and California. Some of the cast had never acted previously but others were SAG-accredited.

Actor Tony Becker points out that many of the actors were "real-life cowboys", and gives a comprehensive cast list:

Notwithstanding the listing of only two participants as stunt performers, many of the actors are skilled cowboy professionals, with credits as horse trainers, wranglers, doubles, trick-roper and also as stunt performers. A few operate ranches or rodeo or stunt performing services, as per the citations given above.

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