Hasan & Partners – Valio
Less than a month before the death of Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, the legendary Motörhead frontman filmed a milk commercial for Finnish dairy giant, Valio. The 40-second video is a remake of an iconic 20-year old commercial that featured a character who exits a seedy bar stating: “I have never drunk milk, and never will.” Created by Hasan & Partners Helsinki, the original script was changed to recreate the ad as a tribute. It was shot on location in Maunula, Finland, close to Hartwall Arena where Motörhead performed shortly after the shoot. To accompany the spot, a campaign website features behind the scenes footage, anecdotes and production stills, plus further background on the original ad and inspiration for the 2016 remake.
Less than a month before his death of Lemmy filmed a milk commercial by Hasan & Partners for Finnish dairy giant, Valio
When they heard of the frontman's untimely passing, the agency added an end-line to the spot, which states: “Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister 1945-2015. We raise our glasses to you.” Jussi Lindholm, chief operating officer of Hasan & Partners, said: “We were in the middle of post production when the news about Lemmy broke. We are profoundly grateful to have worked with him and that Lemmy’s management feel good about the result. We discussed not airing the ad but had footage that was not part of the original script, which crystallised Lemmy’s spirit, so we agreed to change it and make a tribute.”
BMF – Weight Watchers
In a new integrated campaign by BMF, Weight Watchers Australia takes a word that’s taboo in weight loss conversations and puts it in the centre of its brand relaunch to promote its new program and experience. The surprising play on the words “Live Bigger,” becomes Weight Watchers’ statement of courage, motivating people to change their lives for the better. The campaign’s insight is based on the fact that getting healthy and losing weight doesn’t just give you a smaller, healthier body, but also the confidence, energy and physical ability to grab at life’s moments and Live Bigger. By encouraging WW members to feel comfortable in their skin, the weight loss brand intends to give them the confidence to get out and experience more, living a bigger life. In addition to its new brand statement, WW has also launched a new program based around the pillars of “Food, Fit and Feel.” The Weight Watchers Your Way program encourages people to fall in love with real food again, enjoy getting active and discover how good they’re really meant to feel. As part of the rebrand Weight Watchers has also launched its new look magazine developed by Bauer, and the entire brand ecosystem has been overhauled in order to optimise the member experience.
Weight Watchers Australia has taken a word that’s taboo in weight loss conversations and put it in the centre of its brand relaunch by BMF
Cam Blackley, BMF Executive Creative Director, said “For WW to say 'Live Bigger' is a refreshing point of view for any brand associated with weight loss. For those that have experienced the confidence of feeling healthier and losing a few pounds it resonates; for others I'm sure it will raise an eyebrow. And that's what we want.” Paul Schiffer Managing Director/SVP, Corporate of Weight Watchers Australasia, added: “We knew as a business that we needed to make a change to help re-engage people with our brand, and ‘Live Bigger’ gave us a confident and provocative voice with which to announce that change. It is a bold statement, but extensive research with consumers reaffirmed our belief in the strength of this campaign as it proved to not only resonate strongly with women but also led to a more inspired and positive view of the Weight Watchers brand overall.” The integrated campaign that launched in Australia and New Zealand this month includes TVC, online film, cinema, press, digital, social, direct and PR.
Skinny – Your Move
Having recently scored the gig after a competitive pitch against TBWA Manchester and Home, the new Manchester-based creative agency, Skinny, has created a new awareness campaign for UK estate agency brand, Your Move. The campaign aims to highlight the brand's scale and strong capabilities in the estate agency marketplace, and is centred around a 30 second lead TVC called “Crowd,” which was filmed by Skinny on location in Derby and Birkenhead. The spot features a lead character who, as a Your Move estate agent, attracts a crowd of followers and potential property buyers on her journey to visit a Your Move seller with the strap-line; “It pays to be with Your Move,” reflecting Your Move’s unique ability to attract buyers from across the UK.
Manchester-based creative agency, Skinny, has created a new awareness campaign for UK estate agency brand, Your Move
Tony Durston, Co Founder of Skinny, said: “Having made a lot of work in a lot of agencies, it becomes clear what you need to make a good ad, and what you don’t. This is in essence, what Skinny is all about: Stripping out the things that aren’t needed, which not only saves clients time and money, but leads to a less frustrating process for both parties and, we believe, a better end result. It’s brilliant to be able to launch Skinny properly with a great new campaign for a great new client. The team at Your Move have been an absolute pleasure to work with and we’re all very excited about what we’re sure will be a very effective ad.” Louise Hudson, Marketing Director for Your Move, added: “The appeal of Skinny is that they allow their clients direct contact with the creative director so nothing is lost in translation and decisions about the campaign and TV advertisement were made more quickly. Having creative and production under one roof made for a smoother process with a better result at the end of it.”
Albion – Thomas Cook
Kiwi director Mark Albiston from global production company The Sweet Shop, recently shot a new campaign for Thomas Cook via London agency Albion. After winning the Thomas Cook Group account with a mandate to reinvent the business through its product and communications, Albion released its first piece of creative work this week in 14 markets. The pan European campaign is based on an innovative piece of insight work, which aims to demonstrate the emotional benefits of a holiday company that delivers the whole experience for its customers.
Mark Albiston from The Sweet Shop, recently shot a new campaign for Thomas Cook via London agency Albion
Adam Lawrenson, ECD at Albion, said: “This campaign marks a totally new direction for the brand and is routed in an idea which works well not only for communications, but also for product and the organisation internally. That will be key to driving forward the agenda for the Thomas Cook Group over the coming years.” Albiston added of the spot: “Getting the casting right was always going to be the key to this campaign, and the team at Albion were brilliantly supportive, and not a little brave, in letting us use the casting process to shape the final films. Our amazing young lead made us laugh the moment we put the music on. There was no need for choreography, we simply picked his best moves from the first audition and put a routine together.”
Grey London – Volvo UK
Volvo Car UK and Grey London teamed up with one of Sweden’s most respected music conductors to promote the new V40 R-Design. In the filmic portrait, which features a bespoke music score written by award winning composer Tom Player, known for his work on The Hobbit and Game of Thrones, Marie Rosenmir ponders her pre-occupation with detail and its importance to the overall narrative, her sentiments echoing the design philosophy of the V40. Shot by British filmmaking collective Leila and Damien de Blinkk, it draws parallels with the fine craftsmanship of the V40 and the fine details of a symphony orchestra. In the build up to an opening night performance, the film shows Marie’s final preparations and meticulous consideration to the minute of the performance. Intercut with these observational shots are extreme close up shots of the V40’s numerous design details. The film was shot on location in and around Gothenburg, the home of Volvo and it was entirely unscripted, with Grey and Volvo simply agreeing a creative intention, allowing De Blinkk the chance to shoot organically to capture an authentic, filmic language.
Volvo Car UK and Grey London teamed up with one of Sweden’s most respected music conductors to promote the new V40 R-Design
Andy Lockley, creative director at Grey London, said: “It’s the combination of many different factors (some of which you are conscious of, but many of which you aren’t) which make driving a car unique or pleasurable. The V40 boasts lots of lovely, intricate design details, which in isolation may not seem particularly significant but when combined create an incredibly satisfying overall experience. We likened this to a really moving piece of music performed by an orchestra – each small component playing an important part in the overall piece. In this respect, the role of a conductor and of an automotive designer aren’t that different” Georgina Williams, Head of Marketing at Volvo Car UK, added: “The campaign continues to leverage our Swedish provenance and design philosophy which is proving so successful for our business and brand here in the UK. In the TV execution this is delivered via the musings of Marie Rosenmir’s craft. Set against the Swedish landscape and crafted design features of the V40, the complete piece aims to establish the V40 R-Design as a car for the discerning eye.”
Honourable Mention: Jung von Matt – KAYAK
Dozens of costumed sheep ran wild on the Isle of Skye for a frenetic new global TV commercial for KAYAK, in a production from Trigger Happy and LS Productions. The ad showcases the travel search engine’s new app, with creative from German agency Jung von Matt. The production required a four day motion and stills shoot on the Quiraing landslip on the Isle of Skye, which was fully serviced by the Edinburgh-based production servicing company. The Quiraing is a “Site of Special Scientific Interest” and required extra considerations during filming. Shot by double 2015 Cannes Lion winning DoP Bjorn Charpentier, it's a delightful spot that manages to turn a rather dodgy pun into a legitimately creative and amusing piece of creative.