2017: Commercials on Film
In the last few years, Hollywood has seen a huge resurgence of directors choosing to shoot on film. Blockbusters like Star Wars, The Hateful Eight, Phantom Thread, Dunkirk and Justice League are just a few of the big titles to have been shot on film recently. Whilst many thought digital would be the death of film, more and more film makers are returning to the medium not only for its unique aesthetic but for the discipline of shooting film and its long term archival qualities. The trend isn’t restricted to the silver screen; the number of commercials being shot on film has also grown exponentially over the last three years.
Cinelab worked on 15 commercials shot on film in 2015, in 2016 this nearly doubled to 26 and by 2017 over 157 commercials were shot on film. Expecting the interest in shooting on film to grow, Cinelab London the film lab look back on the highlights of 2017’s commercials on film…
Uber - Plan An Effortless Night With Uber – 35mm
This stylish single shot commercial sees a couple have the ultimate effortless date in a schmoozily-lit routine that takes them from A to B. The distinctive grade shines through in this first-ever Uber TVC.
Director: Kim Gehrig
Production Company: Somesuch & Co
DOP: Nicolas Loir
Agency: BBH
Burberry - Cara Delevingne and Matt Smith – 16mm
This 44” advert launches Burberry’s latest collection and features Cara Delevingne and Matt Smith. Photographer Alasdair McLellan uses a combination of a soft film grain against scenes of a hard grain that is synonymous with the look of 1980’s video camera films.
Director: Alasdair McLellan
Production Company: Laura Holmes Production
DOP: Alasdair McLellan
Boots - “Show Them You Know Them” – 35mm
For its Christmas advert last year, Boots prompts shoppers to #ShowThemYouKnowThem when buying gifts for loved ones for the festive holiday. Beginning with an emotional gift-giving scene between two sisters in the present day, the film takes a sentimental trip down memory lane. Recounting snapshots from their childhood, the advert travels through the 1970’s, 80s and 90s. The grainy filmic texture is suited to the points in time whilst giving a coherent style across the decades.
Director: Benito Montorio
Production Company: Pulse Films
DOP: Daniel Landin
Agency: OGILVY & MATHER
Libresse – Blood Normal – 35mm
In one of the most talked about adverts of 2017, Bodyform and Libresse break taboos by making blood the new normal. The commercial features a substance that reflects real menstrual blood opposed to the blue liquid that is commonly used in sanitary product promos. As the video shows scenes of women living unashamedly in a taboo-free world, the film’s soft lighting and dust specs give a simultaneously retro yet timeless feel.
Director: Daniel Wolfe
Production Company: Somesuch & Co
DOP: Monika Lenczewska
Agency: AMV BBDO, UK
Arthritis – “The Nation's Joint Problem” – 16mm
This 60” advert is a hard-hitting depiction of life with arthritis, showing the reality of living with the joint condition. The film’s sandy grain gives the commercial a timeless aesthetic in the narrative’s urban setting.
Director: Ben Liam Jones
Production Company: StrangeLove Productions
DOP: James Blann
Agency: M&C SAATCHI
Mini - "The Faith of a Few" -16mm & 35mm
In this film for MINI, Anorak and Somesuch & Co cast a retro throwback to the carmaker’s unrivalled underdog story. As vintage Ford, Mercedes, and Saab models compete in a motorsport race, an original MINI is victorious as it is first to pass the finish line. Set in a period-style Italian town, the film’s retro grain instantly places the story in a vintage era.
Director: Daniel Wolfe
Production Company: Anorak x Somesuch & Co
DOP: Greig Fraser
Agency: Jung von Matt
Smirnoff presents DJ Jewell - We’re Open – 16mm
Smirnoff explore DJ Jewell’s South African roots in this 30” film. Whilst showing snapshots of local communities, DJ Jewell reminds us that ‘music has no colour’. Set in the modern day, the advert has style with a textured film.
Director: Zachary Heinzerling
Production Company: Epoch Films
DOP: Stuart Winecoff
Agency: 72andSunny, Amsterdam
Johnnie Walker Presents: STEP. RIGHT. UP – 35mm
Johnnie Walker travels the four corners of Scotland, exploring six generations of the whiskey maker’s blenders to showcase its Black Label spirit. The film has a texture which compliments the range of rural settings that tell the commercial’s narrative.
Director: Chris Sargent
Production Company: LS Productions
DOP: André Chemetoff
Agency: Anomaly, New York
New York Bakery Co. introduces The Woman Who Runs New York – 16mm
NY Bakery introduce Edna, the new face of the brand and the ‘woman who runs New York’. The film recording gives this 60” commercial a classic retro Americana feel.
Director: ThirtyTwo
Production Company: Pulse Films
DOP: Charlotte Bruus Christensen
Agency: Now
Dee's 'Fingers Crossed' Paprika Burgers - Tesco Food Love Stories – 35mm
This advert is part of Tesco’s Food Love Stories campaign and we are introduced to Dee and her signature dish. The ongoing series is recorded on film giving each story the same soft aesthetic.
Director: Liz Murphy
Production Company: Nice Shirt Films
DOP: BBH
Agency: Nanu Segal
Smirnoff presents - We’re Open – 35mm
In this 30” advert by 72andSunny New York, Smirnoff reminds us that labels are for the bottle, not people. We see an eclectic mix of young individuals come together to celebrate. The commercial features scenes including a rooftop at sunset, an artificially lit dressing room and the inside of a dimly lit nightclub. Each shot is seamlessly pulled together by the film’s chalky texture and muted tones.
Director: Max Weiland
Production Company: Somesuch & Co
DOP: Zack Spiger
Agency: 72andSunny, New York
Sky Cinema Christmas 2017 – 35mm
Last year, Sky’s Christmas advert took a journey through time to demonstrate the power that a Christmas movie has to bring people together. We observe the affectionate relationship between a mother and daughter as they bond over watching The Sound of Music. We learn that this is their Christmas tradition since the daughter’s childhood. Snapshots in time capture moments from the last two decades until the present day. Recorded on film, the advert mimics the film of the periods depicted.
Director: Ben Liam Jones
Production Company: StrangeLove Productions
DOP: James Blann
Agency: WCRS
Andy’s ‘Red-Handed’ Breakfast Flatbreads – 35mm
Continuing Tesco’s Food Love Stories Series, this advert is set in the British countryside. The commercial shows a combination of indoor, outdoor and day and night scenes, in which the film grain gives a coherent soft look.
Director: Liz Murphy
Production Company: Nice Shirt Films
DOP: BBH
Agency: Nanu Segal
NatWest 'Young and Old' – 16mm
This 60” commercial for NatWest tells the story of the relationship between a father and his adult son in the present day. The film shows memories of the pair depicting the son in childhood – these scenes are set in the 1970’s in which the texture of a hard grain contrasts scenes of the modern day, which are recorded with a soft grain.
Director: Tom Tagholm
Production Company: Park Pictures
DOP: Jeff Melanson
Agency: M&C SAATCHI
State Farm - "Don’t You", "Baker", "Habitat", "Piano" – 35mm
In an emotional 60” plea for volunteers, this video follows people from a snowy street as they enter a soup kitchen at Christmas. The commercial aims to raise awareness of the need to recruit support for those who are homeless, and the soft grain gives a sense of intimacy in the sensitive film.
Director: Aoife McArdle
Production Company: Somesuch & Co
DOP: Tom Townsend
Agency: AMV BBDO, UK
Sainsbury’s – “Mwahahaha!” – 16mm
Sainsbury’s short, fun stop motion ad shows off their children’s Halloween costume collection by juxtaposing monotone film with full colour shots. The grainy appearance of the monotone shots combined with the stop motion has echoes of old horror flicks.
Director: Casey & Ewan
Production Company: Riff Raff Films
DOP: Mattias Nyburg
Agency: W+K
Audible - The Power of Listening 'Cabbie’ & ‘Reverend' – 35mm
These two films promoting Amazon’s Audiobook app, Audible, throw us into a world of imagination and intrigue. Told through the voices of a cabbie and a reverend, the films employ a clear and realistic aesthetic to put us in the shoes of the storytellers.
Director: Max Weiland
Production Company: Somesuch & Co
DOP: Lol Crawley
Agency: Fold7
NatWest – ‘Her Big Day’ – 35mm
This heartfelt family story of a mum supporting her daughter through her engagement and marriage, has a soft appearance, tipped with the iconic NatWest purple in every scene.
Director: Ben Liam Jones
Production Company: StrangeLove Productions
DOP: James Blann
Agency: M&C Saatchi
Assassin’s Creed Origins – ‘I Am…' – 35mm and Super 8
Based in Ancient Egypt, this mixed media advert for video game Assassin’s Creed Origins was shot on 35mm and Super 8. The trailer is set in 49 BC and the film’s grainy effect creates a mysterious and historic feel.
Director: Daniel Wolfe
Production Company: Insurrection Paris
DOP: Monika Lenczewska
Agency: DDB, Paris
