Abante Asesores Journeys through History in Latest Campaign

Spanish financial group Abante Asesores unveils its latest campaign, directed by Marc Corominas, who is represented by Mutt Film in the US and by Smile in Spain. Produced by Smile Productions in partnership with El Ruso de Rocky agency, the emotive 60” film is a historical review of the human instinct to protect money and savings.

Known for his authentic and unexpected visual storytelling, Marc Corominas transports viewers back in time to the beginning of civilization. The cinematic spot journeys through history to the present day to depict the historical relationship people have always had with money.

In collaboration with DOP Román Martínez de Bujo, the short film opens in a dark tomb, where Egyptians begin the ancient ritual of burying a Pharaoh with his riches and prized possessions. From there, a detailed journey through history begins, as multiple examples of the human need to protect money and savings are played out on screen. 

From a dramatic war time scene of an elderly couple hiding their savings under floorboards as soldiers besiege their house, to a cosy scene of a young boy in the 1970’s making sure his pocket money is hidden in his room, the instinct to relate money to fear is at the core of each moment. Emphasising the primitive and relatable feeling of fear depicted in each moment in history, the viewer becomes the observer who is intruding on the characters - they feel observed without actually being observed on screen.   

Keen to photographically respect each period in history, lighting was crucial for Marc and Production Designer María Puig, who worked collaboratively to achieve an authentic recreation of each scene. From the fire torches of the Egyptians, to the naturalism of the Amazon and the candles and incandescent lamps in the Second World War, maximum respect for each moment in history is shown throughout. 

Accompanying the classic and cinematographic narrative, an original soundtrack, composed by Dani Trujillo, heightens the sense of fear and anxiousness played out in each scene. Composed with great sensitivity, the soundtrack not only brings emotional value to each historical moment, but unifies each scene with the relatable instinct all humans have to project their savings. 

With an aim to challenge the opinion that wealth only consists of accumulating and protecting money, the short film concludes with a final reminder that true wealth is not just a matter of money, it’s about creating a long term plan.

Marc Corominas, director, comments, “This project came to us through the agency El Ruso de Rocky. What sets Abante apart from other entities is that they understand that investing is not an end in itself. Under the concept ‘wealth is not just money’, we gave great importance to this initial process in the search of how to recreate each era. We always ensured the narrative perspective was very clear: the historical relationship we have always had with money from fear. For me, receiving a script with such a clear and concise idea was a great help, and not to deviate from this objective was vital.”

Cristina Español, executive producer at Smile, adds, ''A beautiful collaboration between El Ruso de Rocky and the director Marc Corominas. A short story takes us through several different periods in the timeline of our history, focusing on the aspect of our instinct to always save, store and protect money. The campaign hints for a change, bringing the main message to everybody's attention: richness and prosperity are not just about money. And it is true! We felt very rich and lucky to have worked with such an amazing team.’'

Beth George, executive producer and partner at Mutt Film, adds, “We continue to be transported by the level of Marc’s visual storytelling. The new Abante spot showcases all his stellar talents for not only stunning cinematic scenes, but nuanced and emotional performances. It looks like a major feature film in every way including the masterful soundtrack which, like in all great films, underscores the story and tells the viewer how to feel. As Marc told me, be sure you have your headphones on or turn up the volume!”