Domino’s, the UK’s most loved pizza delivery company, unveils the next chapter of its ongoing Domin-oh-hoo-hoo campaign. Revealing a new 30” spot which reflects a brutally honest take on sharing, Tearing Loved Ones Apart Since 1985 was created in partnership with strategic creative agency, VCCP London.
The campaign film focuses on humorous and relatable moments as families and friends fight each other to be the first to get hold of a Domino’s delivery. With action slowed to 90 frames a second, each scene gains an almost-poetic pace, showcasing people’s expressions - little twitches, squinting eyes and moments of victory/defeat become larger, and more humorous.
Designed to generate fame for the brand, the campaign features an evolution of Domino’s famous Domin-oh-hoo-hoo sonic branding which is redefined as a swelling operatic soundtrack to the dramatic scenes of loved ones battling in slow motion, giving the whole film an over-the-top importance only Domino's pizza can demand.
Multi-award winning Director, Aaron Stoller elevates the humour in everyday situations and magnifies the humour in the concept, that humans are notoriously bad at sharing the things that they love, even with those they love the most - and because Domino’s is so good, it’s really good at tearing families apart.
To learn more, we spoke to David Masterman, Deputy Executive Creative Director at VCCP.
What was the brief?
Make sure Domino’s is front of mind when anyone is considering a takeaway.
How did the initial pitch/brainstorming phase go?
In Domin-oh-hoo-hoo we have a campaign which is pulling like a train. We had a bunch of ideas early on, ranging from slightly warped to downright daft. Sadly, a couple of rounds of research put the kybosh on those.
But one thing that came up in conversation with Harry, our client, was a lovely insight; that, for a brand that brings people together, we do also tear them apart.
What was the process behind ideating the concept?
Ideating, you say? Fights look brilliant in slow-mo. Raging Bull. Case closed.
Dream team Robbie and Henry had found a piece of opera which, if you squinted your ears (if that’s a thing) sounded a bit like our yodel. We kept coming back to it, if we could make one of those to our melody, we’d be off to the races.
What was the production process like?
In the capable hands of our producer, Ed Mueller, It went like a dream. We had several great directors keen to make it, and settled on the brilliant Aaron Stoller from Biscuit Filmworks. From our first chat we felt like we were all on the same page.
What was the biggest challenge during production? How did you overcome it?
We wanted to make the squabbles as realistic as possible, without running into any issues with the watershed and compliance.
We got a rep from Clearcast on set, which helped us go as close to the wire as we could without overstepping it.
What kit/tools/software were used to create the project?
We had two cameras on set, an Alexa and a Phantom which can go up to 1000fps. We made greater use of the Alexa shooting at 90 fps because it allowed us to indulge in slow motion, but without compromising the number of scenes in our 30”.
What is one funny or notable thing that happened during production?
I was very aware of the adage; laugh on the set, cry in the edit. But, to be fair, we had a blast. Watching Marc Cass, our stunt coordinator, teach Stephanie, our granny, a bunch of wrestling moves will stay with me forever.
And the music; Clearly the notion of an operatic piece where the only lyrics are Domin-oh-hoo-hoo is borderline sacrilege. But we took it deadly seriously. We started trading opera references. Soho Music, with Hannah Boxall’s vocal talents, nailed it. We’ve got a three minute version which really is something to behold.
What’s the main message of this project and why does it matter?
So many brands talk about how they bring people together, so there’s something extremely refreshing to say: “If we’re honest, we all hate sharing. Get out of my way when the Dom’s arrives.”
How long did it take from inception to delivery?
Four months from client briefing to going on air. They briefed this in on the 7th of June and we were on air at the start of October.
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
Make sure that Domino’s is front of mind the next time you so much as think about getting a takeaway.
Credit list for the work.
Director of Marketing: Harry Dromey
Head of Brand & Campaigns: Emma Hackett
Senior Media Manager: Kerry Morrow
Campaign Manager: Matt Reed
Advertising Agency: VCCP
Deputy Executive Creative Director: David Masterman
Creatives: Robbie Field & Henry Westcott
Agency Senior Producer: Ed Mueller
Managing Partner: Jessica Aspinall
Senior Account Director: Claire Fleet
Senior Account Manager: Natalina Robarts
Head of Planning: Ross Cameron
Planning Director: Nathan Velayudhan
Creative Producer: Sally Archer
Head of Art: Ali Augur
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Aaron Stoller
Exec Producer: Sam Chitty
Producer: Cathy Green
DOP: Ben Seresin
Food Stylist: Katie Giovanni
Editor: Jonnie Scarlett @ The Quarry
VFX: Electric Theatre Collective
Producer: Matt Williams
Colourist: Luke Morrison
Music Supervision: Soho Music
Sound Engineer: Parv Thind @ Wave Studios
Media Buying Agency: Havas Media UK
Managing Partner: Charlotte Steel
Client Partner: Jo Mikolajczyk
Account Director: Leila King
Account Manager: Lottie Kouset
