In a world of esports, influencers and dating apps, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. But all it takes is a little open mindedness to realise the power and potential of technology.
A recent spot from Swedish creative company Acne deals with concerns about how much screen time we're racking up with a bout of classic Scandi humour in a bid to challenge negative attitudes towards tech for telco Telenor.
The campaign features one of the world’s biggest esport stars Olof “Olofmeister” Keijber, Olympic gold medalist and Stanley Cup-winner Håkan Loob and influencer, illustrator and model, Cajsa Wessberg. Below, Joel Lindblad, copywriter, and Isaac Bonnier, senior art director, explain more about the concept.
Explain your approach to the project and what you wanted to achieve?
The debate around screen-time and screens have generated a lot of conversation in the past few years. So when working with a telco, it felt natural to question the many statements that were more grounded in prejudice rather than in real facts.
We didn't necessarily want to point out any rights or wrongs, but instead shine a light on questions that are in need of more nuance.
Our approach was to create a campaign that would somehow become part of the conversation. And by questioning prejudice without being dead serious, we found a way to speak to a broader audience than those already on board the tech train.
Tell us a bit more about that approach?
Finding good insights, having good timing and being aware of where the conversations today are taking place were key. We did a lot of research to really understand the prejudices around new technology and screen time.
How long did the production take?
Approximately two months of effective work – one month's pre-production, one week in production and three weeks of post production.
How was collaborating with your technical partners?
We had a great collaboration. Acne’s creative team worked tightly both with photographer Felix Swensson at Acne Photography and illustrator/animator Manne at Acne Illustration, as well as Adam Hashemi at Bacon and the post artists at BaconX.
Why was it best to present it in this format?
The campaign was actually presented in an array of formats, each adjusted to its media. The full 60-second story for YouTube, 45-, 30- and 15-second versions aired on Swedish TV, 6-second spots and GIFs in 4:5 and 9:16 where used on different social media platforms, while stills and moving images were produced for owned media channels.
What was the most technically challenging part of the project?
The Tinder scene was very fun and challenging, as it was shot in a real church and we weren't allowed to build a big rig with wires as we'd planned. The solution was very simple using tracks and classic trick filming. Almost nothing was added or removed in post on that particular scene. The actor went through a real wall, although a prop-version.
How close to your original vision is the final film?
Very close. The final film is the same as the original script. Adam really understood our vision, both when it came to casting, stunning visuals and humour.
