An Epic Adventure of Toy-Size Proportions in New TalkTalk Spot

A mission to find great TV marks fourth in multi-award-winning series CHI&Partners this week launches the fourth in its heartwarming series of animated campaigns for TalkTalk, in which household objects are brought to life to represent the happiness of a well-connected home.

Following on from ‘Homes within Homes’, ‘Model Village’ and ‘Date Night’, CHI&Partners’ new commercial ‘The Mission’ tells the story of six household objects coming to life and embarking on an epic journey to find great TV.

This latest spot couples TalkTalk’s trademark soulful animations with a rousing, campaigning tone to champion the brand’s TV offering – aiming to convert more existing broadband and landline customers to TalkTalk TV.

Directed by award-winning Nexus directors Smith & Foulkes, the spot follows a doll, two fluffy bunny slippers, a garden gnome, a tin robot and a dog-lamp as they set out on a treacherous, odyssey-style journey, battling against the elements before they reach their destination – a warm, inviting house with a bright TV screen shining through the open doorway.

‘The Mission’ is the first of four new ads which will roll out from September through to January 2015, spotlighting the value and flexibility of TalkTalk TV, which includes kids, entertainment and sports channels and family blockbuster movies as well as its fibre broadband package.

Micky Tudor, creative director at CHI&Partners, said: “Our award-winning animations for TalkTalk have set a precedent over the years – and this year we’ve aimed to raise the bar again. Everything about this little film is epic. Shot in cinemascope, voiced by Derek Jacobi and with a sweeping score from ‘Last of the Mohicans’, this spot is packed with the kind of extraordinary craft that is normally reserved for the world of feature films.” 

Olivia Streatfeild, Commercial Director – consumer at TalkTalk, said: "We are so excited about our new TV campaign. The title ‘The Mission’ is apt as TalkTalk continues on its mission to bring families together through great TV entertainment. We want to help make our four million TalkTalk homes better off with our flexible ways of viewing great TV. We hope our customers love the creative as much as we do.”

Nexus directors Smith & Foulkes said: “The initial idea for this spot started as a mission statement, a mantra shouted by a crew of household objects demanding better and cheaper TV. But the challenge was not just about incorporating the emotional connection seen in previous TalkTalk spots into the script, but also about providing pure cinematic entertainment – so we took a slightly different approach, using the cinematic potential of a group of friends setting out on an epic quest to find a house with TalkTalk TV. This gave us the comic scope to show our heroic group’s most over-dramatic adventures in a quiet corner of suburbia.”

The new campaign coincides with the roll-out of TalkTalk’s new brand look and feel, also created by CHI&Partners, which brings a playful flavour to TalkTalk’s print, out-of-home and online advertising, with 3D headlines and bold, colourful fonts intended to grab the attention of customers, while conveying the fun and approachable personality of the brand.