Great Guns' Omar Hilal Hits the Lonesome Road for New E-Lites Spot

Great Guns director Omar Hilal is the man behind the camera in the latest E-Lites commercial through advertising agency McCann Birmingham, Bristol & Luton.

The commercial is a candid story told with a cinematic and entertaining style, ending with a charming, humorous twist, all told with a delicate and simple touch.

The commercial follows an E-Lites smoker on a coach trip; he sits at the back of a busy bus at the beginning of a journey on a long straight road across the USA. As the bus continues its expedition an overweight, bearded man sitting on the right side of our hero gently falls onto his shoulder while dozing. The bus takes a sharp turn and the sleeping man moves away, only to be replaced by someone new on his left shoulder… luckily this time it’s a beautiful girl. 

The ad closes with the new E-Lites slogan: “A Curv makes the difference” adding a comedic touch to the story. 

Omar says about his latest film: “'Bus' is just simple and original in an a way we sorely miss today. Most advertising these days has to try real hard to stand out, but this script has a lot of confidence. And on a personal note, I don't get a chance to make films with such a dark mood, seeing that most of my work is comedy. I loved the setting, the characters, the simple insight of the curve and how it creates 'magic'. It's all so subtle and simple, and has this originality that reminds me of great Levi's advertising.

"I wanted to create the perfect mood. A lonesome terrain and a dark night. Everything points in one boring direction , until a little curve creates interest. I could immediately hear the slide guitar in my head, and it worked perfectly. DOP Jaime Feliu-Torres and I had great chemistry and, with a masterful grade by Paul Harrison, I feel we've created a great looking film.”