Andrew McMains | Adweek

A classic rock ballad, “Beth” by KISS, that inspired a thought balloon—”Wouldn’t it be funny to hear Beth’s  side of the story?”—is now a short film. The four-and-a-half-minute piece from Bob Winter, executive creative director at Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami, centers around a 1970s-era phone call between Beth and an actor portraying Peter Criss, the band’s original drummer and co-writer of the song.

Beth is home, cooking meatloaf and wondering when Peter will get home. Peter is in the studio, unable to commit to a time (he keeps repeating a refrain in the song, “What can I do?”) and anxious to get back to recording. He and his bandmates are inexplicably dressed in full costume and face paint, despite being nowhere near a concert hall. Ah, but hey, what says KISS more than makeup and platform boots?

The back and forth turns hostile when Peter, who said he’d be home in a few hours, shifts to another line in the song: “I hope you’ll be all right ’cause me and the boys will be playing
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