ABOUT

Australia has a great tradition of legendary moments in the water. Emma
McKeon’s four golds at the Tokyo Olympics. The Oarsome Foursome. That
guy who punched a shark.
But we’ve yet to have an iconic moment in the realm of synchronised swimming
– or as it’s now known, artistic swimming. Well, it’s time for that to change.
It makes perfect sense for Tassal to bring this beautiful combination of
watersport and gymnastic dance to Aussie hearts. The smooth aquatic moves
of a well-drilled squad of artistic swimmers can almost feel like a school of
salmon, circling and darting around each other.
But while our squad of swimmers are a beautifully drilled unit, the true spirit
of this spot is embodied by the member of our squad with a Dad Bod: Ken. An
ordinary man with extraordinary aquatic skills. Proof that first appearances
can be deceptive, you might say his story is the tale of the Ugly Duck-diver.



KEN: AN EPIC FISH OUT OF IN WATER COMEDY
The secret to making comedy like this land is to play it straight. We’re going to
take a world class artistic swimming team and embed Ken like he’s just another
member of the crew. He’s capable, he’s athletic, he’s got the moves down, but
his physicality is just a bit different. The result will be a campaign that feels
quirky and engaging without tipping over into slapstick.
We’re building a narrative here, the 30 seconder is a three act mini-movie. At
first we only see hints of Ken, perhaps best achieved by seeing shots of his
legs – first as the swimmers march up in single file, and again when we see
those same hairy legs enter the water.

As Ken bursts up from beneath the water and is revealed in all his glory, I’d
like the tinny speaker version of classical music to burst into full magnificent
stereo. With the swell of the orchestra, it’s like we’re transitioning into a state
of magical realism as Ken is revealed as the hero. The crowd responds with
us, stunned and awed by what he’s pulling off.
We then crescendo to a spectacular final move. As discussed above, I’d
love to see a drone shot in tribute to those Hollywood classics. All the other
swimmers lie on their backs, limbs outstretched in star formation, forming a
slowly rotating circle, from the centre of which, a smiling Ken rises towards
us. This epic crescendo moment will be easily achieved by using a concealed
person standing on a person to lift Ken up. From an aerial perspective and
side on you won’t see the crew member assisting from below.It might be good
to shoot this off-speed slow motion to give us the option to slow it down to
heighten the impact.
The final beat in Ken’s story is the reveal of the secret to his power: delicious
and invigorating Tassal salmon. It’s a twist that explains why this ordinary man
has such an extraordinary, graceful physicality. No wonder people can only
talk about it in an awed whisper.


OUR TRUE HERO: THE FOOD
We are going to employ a top class food stylist to ensure that the food looks
absolutely mouth-watering. We want crispy, fresh ingredients that sing with
bold, enticing colours. But the dishes aren’t overly ornate – these are meals
that Ken has been able to easily prepare himself.
Of course, the hero of each dish is the salmon, and we’ll choose ingredients
that provide a contrast so that the orange salmon flesh really pops. Splashes
of colour like green herbs and avocado, or white cream cheese, highlight the
flavours while complementing the Tassal packaging colours.
I love the unique setting for the pack shots, a change room is quirky, fun, and
a natural progression from being poolside. Ken obviously can’t wait to get
stuck into his salmon meals! We’ll make the change room sparkle and gleam,
again enhancing the Tassal colours where possible. We’ll ensure that our
salmon, both in the prepared meals and the packs will look fresh and delicious
alongside these awed and slightly odd whispering characters.

IT MUST BE TASSAL:
We open at a community swimming pool. A small but buzzing crowd settle
in the bleachers. A squad of graceful female legs step in synchronous single file along the
side of the pool. After five or so pairs of legs, we see the final pair, stubby,
hairy, wearing a pair of thongs. As the crowd leans forward in anticipation, one of them eats from a bucket of popcorn, eyes wide, and a public address speaker buzzes out a tinny
fanfare. From the edge of the pool, we look down the line of a squad of perfectly
matched swimmers, in identical one-piece costumes and make-up, as one-
by-one, they peel off into the water with a cascade of beautifully timed dives.
The crowd squints at something...
The pair of hairy legs disappear into the water – a splash appears at edge
of frame. Cut to underwater, where the swimmers weave gracefully amongst each
other in a meticulously choreographed routine, as effortless as mermaids.
Bubbles stream from their mouths; their noses are clipped closed.
Above the surface, their legs perform a scissor kick. The hairy legs are there
again, perfectly synchronised with the others.
The legs all vanish, and one by one, and, with broad smiles, the swimmers
re-emerge into a fluid set of moves.
A crowd member peers through her binoculars, and leans forward to see...
KEN. He looks utterly out of place, despite wearing short swim trunks or a
one piece and goggles that match the other swimmers’ outfits. He swoops up
out of the water to take the final spot in the ensemble. The music blossoms
into a full, orchestral treatment as Ken, beaming from ear to ear, matches
the rest of the crew move for move.
He just looks a little less graceful, that’s all.
We cut through a montage of spectacular moves. The troupe twirls, kicks,
glides and swoops in perfect synchronicity, accentuating the pulse of the
music. And Ken is right there, keeping up with every move, despite his heavy
set physique and less than graceful looks.
The crowd turn to each other, pointing, blinking, whispering at first in
confusion, then amused but amazed at what they are seeing