creative showcase 1 2 commercials review
commercials review 1 3 creative showcase
Britain’s got talent After the giant success of T-Mobile’s
“We didn’t want to copy what we’d done
only moments before it kicked off, when
helping him up and dusting him off. He’d
dancing flashmob back in January,
before,” says Paul Silburn, creative
2,000 microphones were distributed
literally been overpowered by the group!
episode two of Saatchi & Saatchi
partner at Saatchi’s, “instead we wanted
among the gathering, that the sing-along
You definitely couldn’t question people’s
London’s campaign was always going to
to evolve the idea. It isn’t about
was revealed. Over the next hour, the
enthusiasm for the moment.”
have a tough act to follow. With Dance
flashmobbing, or even spontaneity – it’s
crowd crooned along to classics like Hey
Despite a small dose of diva behavior,
garnering 12 million hits on YouTube and
about creating a memorable experience
Jude and Is This the Way To Amarillo?,
Gracey’s still convinced that combining
copycat stunts across the industry, the
that people can share.”
while 20 cameras captured the footage.
live filming with an open invite meant
pressure was on. So what did they do
With the public reaction to Dance so
“We were estimating and hoping for
they captured scenes they wouldn’t have
next? Well, Sing-along, a mass karaoke
positive, this time Saatchi’s decided to
5,000 or 6,000 people but we ended up
been able to otherwise. “The British
event in London’s Trafalgar Square for
cast them in the starring role. Through
right on the capacity of Trafalgar Square
public do these shared concepts proud,
13,000 people, of course, and it was
Facebook, MySpace and text messages,
with 13,000. We also thought we’d get a
they turn out in force and just give it
aired, appropriately enough, during ITV’s
invites were sent out advertising the
lot of onlookers and would have to coax
their all,” he enthuses. “There were lots
Britain’s Got Talent.
location but not the theme. In fact it was
people to join in, but as soon as the
of subtle, genuine moments. It’s not
cameras started rolling you could tell
directed – you can’t direct that stuff. You
that people were there because they
are staging an event and creating an
wanted to take part,” explains Silburn.
environment in which you want to
And the karaoke theme wasn’t the only
capture these moments, but you’re not
surprise on offer. Midway through the
making any excuses about that – how
event, singer Pink was unexpectedly
people respond is totally natural.”
revealed amid the crowd, lending her
Perhaps the bravest risk of all was
vocals to Janis Joplin’s Piece Of My
staging the event in a city famed for its
Heart. “The whole idea was that she was
gloomy weather and drizzling rainfall. But
just like everyone,” describes director
in spite of a more than pessimistic
Michael Gracey, from Partizan. “When we
forecast, the gods were smiling down –
pitched that to her she was really into it,
luckily, as there was no wet weather
she wanted to be out there singing with
back-up plan. “We joked about doing
the crowd and having the same weight in
Singing In The Rain or It’s Raining Men,”
the commercial as everybody else.”
reveals Silburn, “or even something
Having already helmed the live Dance ad,
ironic like Walking On Sunshine. But
Gracey knew something of what he was
really we just crossed our fingers and
letting himself in for, but with Joe Public
hoped the weather played ball with us.”
let loose there were always going to be a
And so with another commercial with the
few unplanned elements: “Some bits
feel-good factor ramped up to the max
were quite comical. It was meant to be
under their belts, there’s only one
about a shared moment, but some people
question – what’s next?
just did not want to give up their
“I wish I could tell you,” finishes Silburn,
microphones – even the cameramen
“as that would mean we’d have it
couldn’t wrestle them off them. And at
cracked. It’s going to get tougher and
one point a camera went down. I was
tougher to follow up, but it’s great to be
screaming ‘Camera 14, you’re shooting
involved in this. It’s hard to imagine going
feet what are you doing?’ – and then we
back to a conventional TV spot now – it
saw him crawling on his knees and
just makes you want to move onwards
picking himself up, and an old lady
and upwards.” IR
“The British public do these shared concepts proud, they turn out in force and just give it their all… There were lots of subtle, genuine moments. It’s not directed – you can’t direct that stuff.”
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