Your Shot: Behind the Scenes on A Spanish Anti-Drugs Ad with a Difference

With anti-drugs campaigns, there’s a sweet spot between lecture and levity that’s notoriously hard to hit. This new Spanish campaign, Construye (which literally means ‘build’ in English) from Publicis and Blur Producciones for FAD (Fundación de Ayuda Contra la Drogadicción – Foundation Against Drug Addiction) hits the bullseye perfectly. From a strategic point of view it cleverly eschews off-putting scare tactics, instead it simply suggests a more creative, constructive and productive way of life that can be achieved without drugs. Creatively, it’s a whirl of dynamic and playful images that blend live action graininess with whimsical animation in a way that feels more like an indie music video than your usual PSA. It’s a relevant and authentic campaign that was fuelled by passion and collaboration, as directors Marc Corominas and Lorena Medina tell LBB’s Laura Swinton…

LBB> When you saw the brief, what appealed to you about it?

MC & LM> The message. It’s such a positive message for such a delicate topic.  We felt that with this idea, it feels like reality has been accepted. Drugs exist. It doesn’t try and pretend otherwise. It doesn’t try and avoid the topic or say how bad drugs are. It gives you ideas and stimulus to create and do things instead of waste your time. And with that thought, there’s less room left over for drugs. And we thought that was an interesting place to start planning the visual element of the film.

LBB> How did you go about developing the various ‘scenes’ or characters within the spot?

MC & LM> It isn’t often that we have the opportunity to work on a project where we can get so involved in the visual creation of the film. The text element of the script was agreed but the images remained more open. It was a great experience working with Publicis and FAD (Fundación de Ayuda Contra la Drogadicción – Foundation Against Drug Addiction) from script through to shoot, sharing ideas at every stage and see the film take shape bit by bit. We wanted to explain each part of the script using different snapshots of activities and emotions and we also took the decision to use different techniques. We felt this mixture of images and visual language was something our target audience would relate to.

LBB> I guess one of the challenges of creating anti-drugs ads is that they don’t work if they’re lectures and if you try too hard to be ‘hip’ they can be a bit like an embarrassingly trendy Dad! What I liked about this ad was that it didn’t feel forced and the aesthetic was one that I think young people will be able to relate to. Was this something you thought about quite a bit? How did you achieve this approachable and non-lecturing vibe?

MC & LM> We totally agree. We actually had some other ideas when it came to edit stage but they were a bit too full on. The script was really what led us to develop these nicer, positive and friendlier images. Images that young people could associate with, react well to. We actually thought of things that we would identify with too. We ended up with something that isn’t a sermon of what not to do but a collection of suggestions which serve as options and paths you can choose. In that way less an ad, and more inspiration.

Marc and Lorena onset with one of the actresses

LBB> There are some lovely moments in the film – how much of it was planned out or choreographed ahead of shooting and how much was spontaneous?

MC & LM> Both things. Everything was planned, but you can only plan to an extent. We didn’t always give the actors too much detail, too many instructions on how we wanted things done. We explained where each scene fitted in in the script, and why, and then saw where it took them. It’s then that things arise, natural behaviour that helps give the film soul and emotion. Exactly what we were looking for. Feeling. Emotion. Reality. 

LBB> I love the combination of live action shots and then the mixed media and animation elements – why did you choose to approach it in this way?

MC & LM> We felt the mixture of visual languages is the kind of language young people are used to…from all their different social network feeds. A mixture of formats that they feel is talking to them. 

LBB>As I understand it, this project involved a lot of collaboration and a lot of spontaneity and ingenuity.  What were the biggest challenges you faced creating this spot and how did you overcome them?

MC & LM> Many people have collaborated. Many people have given us their time. Both on the shoot, as well as animation partners, music, sound, VO, post. The list of thank yous is endless.  Everyone was amazing in their generosity. Everyone gave their “granito de arena” (literally grain of salt). Everyone got behind the idea. We are so grateful. 

It was a very ambitious shoot in terms of the number of locations and actors we needed to shoot in the time we had. It was also quite difficult getting the anamorphic lenses we wanted for the days we wanted them. A lot of phone calls were made but we got there in the end! And there were a few scenes we couldn’t shoot on the designated shoot days.  Like the rugby training - we had to fit in with the training sessions! Oh and the weather forecast for one of the days. But in the end it was all fine. It’s Barcelona!

LBB> What are your favourite memories from the shoot?

MC & LM> The genuine good feeling there was with everyone we worked with. Everyone gave this project their all. With a smile. From start to finish. We really were very lucky. 

Credits

FAD clients: Ignacio Calderón, Eusebio Megías, María Renovales, Beatriz Pestaña y María Sánchez

Executive Creative Directors Publicis:

Bitan Franco, Óscar Martínez, Sito Morillo

Creative Supervisor: Miriam Gutiérrez

Producer: Gustavo Samaniego

Account Management: Elena Granados

Director: Marc Corominas 

Director: Lorena Medina 

Executive Producer: Mario Fornies 

Producer: Kate Jenner

Post Producers: Tamara Diaz, Lupe Jimenez y Kate Jenner

PM: Marta Antón

DOP: Oriol Vila 

DOP assistant: Agnes Corbera 

1st AD: Israel Marco

2nd AD: Ángela Puig-Pey 

PA: Carles Pequerul 

Location manager: David Bello

Runner: Maria Asensio 

Runner: Ana Terrero 

Runner: Adrià Nebot 

Runner: Eli Apezteguia

Runner: Silvia Arimany

Focus Puller: Sergio Santana 

Camera: Pablo Lagos 

Gaffer: Moncho Bartroli 

Stylist Ana Morera

Wardrobe assistant: Andrea Pi Sunyer 

Make up: Oona Napier 

Art Director: Oian Arteta 

Art Dept assistant: Alexandra Jordana

Props: Cristina Hontiyuelo

Props: Anna Auquer 

Editor: Lucas Nolla

Editor Assistants: Rocío Pérez, Javi Alsina y Julio Bermejo

Music: Aimar Molero

Casting: Bendita Profesion

Guardia Urbana de Barcelona

Ajuntament de Barcelona

Charlotte Chadwick - wardrobe

Costume BCN

BUC Rugby

Arnau Roca

Alba Roig

Pancho y Nona

Perros - Otti y Xampi

Guillem Cabrera

José de New Barber

Oscar Noguera

Ezequiel Cruz

Sergio Lopez

Adela Loconte

Bo Ningen

Flikli

Duduá

Post production: Metropolitana, Sergio A.López Moreno y Albert Marcet

Colorist: Paula Ruiz

Sound studio Spain: Beat Music

Albert Marcet

Albert Navas

Sound studio: Grand Central Studios

Sound technician UK: Munzie Thind

VO Spanish: Lucas Nolla

VO English: Philip Jackson