Behind The Perlorian Brothers’ Whimsical Spot for Fisherman’s Friend
There are both pros and cons to being a heritage brand. On the one hand, legacy and a long history means that your product has been proven reliable and beloved through the ages – a testament to your place in the market. But, creatively speaking, you’re also forced to contend with certain expectations. Not only do you have to remain calculated and precise with your brand tone once it's been established, but you also have to think about how that evolves with the times, enabling you to stay relevant with audiences new and old alike.
This is exactly what Fisherman’s Friend, a 159-year-old business found itself considering ahead of its latest campaign. Known to not take itself too seriously, the lozenge brand’s creative agency of representation, Arrivals + Departures, knew it would have to find a way to incorporate this into the overarching task of reintroducing the brand to a younger demographic.
To this end, the team brought in acclaimed director duo The Perlorian Brothers (Merchant) to create a fun, whimsical 30-second spot based out of a seaside hotel. Featuring coughing people, from bellhops to pianists, the work depicts a helpful fisherman popping out of various unexpected locations, ready to offer a lively audible as well as a soothing lozenge.
Ready to learn more about just what it took to bring this playful, non-verbal creation to life, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt got Arrivals + Departures’ chief creative officer Jeff MacEachern and The Perlorian Brothers together for a chat.
LBB> From the top, what was the brief for this campaign, and what made a seaside hotel and funny fisherman the right creative approach for the job?
Jeff> Our goal was to reintroduce a 159-year-old brand that has been dormant for the past three to four years, while building affinity within a new, younger demographic.
Tonally speaking, Fisherman’s Friend has always been a brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Witty and whimsical was a place we knew we wanted to play in from the start. Fun and playful approaches are always great ways to entertain and engage audiences.
LBB> Building on this, what inspired the decision to go dialogue-free? How did this impact your planning, and what was the writing process like?
Jeff> The feeling of dealing with nasty cold symptoms is universal – no explanation needed. The desire for quick and effective relief that can be by your side (in your pocket) at any time is also universal. Demonstrating this rather than pitching to the audience was the way to go.
We explored numerous different approaches before landing on this final concept. What sealed the deal was the fisherman character. It’s rare for a brand to have such an ownable asset. It was a no-brainer to write around him. However, we didn’t want him to be a spokesperson pitching the brand; instead, we wanted him to be a fan of the product and an ally who’s got your back at all times – just like the product.
LBB> How did the collaboration with The Perlorian Brothers come to pass?
The Perlorian Brothers> While launching or developing new or recent brands is a fun challenge, there’s always something a little bit special about getting involved with a brand that is older than anyone alive. Fisherman’s Friend is an icon and a survivor – a true indicator of quality that has stood the test of time – we all grew up with it as a remedy that soothes and refreshes. When our talented friends at Arrivals + Departures asked us to be a part of refreshing the brand, it felt like we were just paying back the favour to a product that had given us so much refreshment over the years.
Jeff> Really, their vision for every project they take on is exceptional. They articulate exactly what they aim to achieve from the first briefing and never waver. Yet, they are flexible enough to collaborate and find creative solutions to those little hiccups that often arise on set.
LBB> Let’s talk about the storyboarding process. What sort of vision did you present, and how closely did it resemble the final product?
The Perlorian Brothers> Visual storytelling is something we’re pretty versed in. Working on projects that span different languages, we’re used to working in the universals that non-verbal narrative is all about. Our references for this sort of thing often come from the era of pre-sound film; they had lots figured out in the silent era and we often dip into Keaton, Chaplin and Lloyd for inspiration.
In terms of the vision versus the result, our approach was to be pretty structured (the story, the time we have to tell it, and the geography). The results in this case were adapted a little for the details of the location, but we stayed on course and pretty true to the characters and their vignettes.
LBB> What was the casting process like? How did you find the right people to bring this world to life?
The Perlorian Brothers> After trying a lot of reinventions of what the old fisherman could be, casting character actor Paul Whitney was the clear choice. As any old seafarer will tell you, sometimes the best way is to sail hard with the current – so we leaned into the crusty to create an exaggerated hyper-fisherman.
LBB> Speaking of the fisherman, him popping out of things and making funny noises is awesome! How did you bring these elements to life?
The Perlorian Brothers> The agency team concocted many impossible ways for the fisherman to conveniently appear. The movie magic of doing the right things practically (and on budget) was what we brought to it. The agency and its smart and trusting client have a great deal of confidence in its identity, and are willing to get a little odd and surprising to win the attention of its audience, which is a smart yet rare thing, and one of the reasons we loved this assignment so much.
Jeff> I will say, our fisherman’s legs might have been a little sore after doing umpteen squats (in a suitcase, a piano, and a chess table).
In terms of the sounds, The Perlorian Brothers worked with Paul from the beginning, and tried a tonne of options on the day. They even had him bark like a seal! While the seal gag wasn’t right in the end (we tried it in the edit), it gave us a good range for his ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’.
LBB> Having to direct a spot with no dialogue sounds a bit challenging! How did this impact your approach, if at all?
The Perlorian Brothers> It’s important to keep the performers in a non-language, expressive state. To ensure this, we established a strict ‘post-verbal film set’ – all direction was made in non-verbal form using gestures, noises and a few visual aids. It’s essential to help the actors stay in character, plus it makes for a much shorter pre-production meeting and results in considerable budget savings on walkie-talkie rental.
LBB> The visuals and colour palette of the spot are amazing! What was the set creation like? How did you create such a perfect hotel?
The Perlorian Brothers> We always place a high priority on aesthetics, even if the story we’re telling is absurd or silly… ESPECIALLY if the story is silly. We’re uncompromising about that. So, working with production designer Sue Tebbutt, our longtime collaborator, we turned a staid, turn-of-the-century private literary club into a fantasy maritime hotel of the imagination. And lastly, legendary colourist Eric Whipp brought the palette in line and elevated the look of Daniel Grant’s excellent cinematography throughout.
LBB> In particular, the opening sequence of the hotel on the cliff with the boat going by is excellent! What went into achieving this?
The Perlorian Brothers> There’s a third Perlorian Brother who no one speaks of. His name is Jonathan Wendt, and he lives up in a dark room in Stockholm. Jonathan creates magical things that are a big part of many of the worlds we bring to the screen. His work on this project really sets the scene perfectly.
LBB> Building on this, what was the post-process like? What did it take to bring the final cut together, from the edit to the audio?
Jeff> It’s rare for a director(s) to show you an edit and have you make no changes. This was one of those times. While the agency couldn’t help but tinker a bit more, we kept coming back to the original edit that was first presented to us. Our VFX artist and colorist played a significant role. While the fisherman’s appearances were done practically, a lot of cleanup and compositing was done in post, as well as that epic establishing shot featuring the Fisherman’s Friend trolley and our hotel.
The Perlorian Brothers> We always ride the edit hard and oversee every detail of the post-production finishing. Editor Paul Skinner had a lot of fun pacing out our three little acts to fit the 30 seconds, and then PIRATE SOUND crafted a nautical-themed soundscape that makes the whole experience feel like a salty sea world unto itself.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? And what lessons did you learn in the making of this campaign?
Jeff> We fell in love with a location that we couldn’t secure in the end. But, like many things in life, it was meant to be, as we found a location that was even better.
As for lessons, bring only the best people to the table and trust the process.
LBB> Since launch, how have people responded?
Jeff> We’ve had nothing but positive reactions!
LBB> Finally, do you have an element of the project you’re most proud of? And why?
Jeff> Oftentimes, creatives and agencies shy away from making the product a central part of the story. We appreciate the freedom to tell rich, funny, and emotional stories, but it’s always worth embracing the brand/product/service and exploring how it can be a lead character in our concepts.
