Helen Parker and Peter Lydon Worked to “Solve the Commercial Puzzle” for Chase Gin and Vodka

Chase Gin and Vodka’s launch spot had a lot riding on it. As the brand’s first foray into TV advertising, it had to make a real impact and to communicate the brand’s heritage and identity. Hailing from the Herefordshire's verdant lands, the brand naturally turned to botany which already serves as the inspiration behind its gin and vodka. 

The spot, titled ‘Let the Outside In’ follows a protagonist as he orders a Chase drink. One taste instantly transports him into a dreamlike space where fantastical nature has invaded a classic manor house. Production company Another worked closely with critically acclaimed director Peter Lydon, creative agency St Luke’s, and the Chase marketing team at Diageo to turn around the TV spot in record time, and with impressive creative results. 

Known for directing award winning series like ‘Shameless’, ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’ and ‘Poirot’, Peter has also made ads for huge brands, namely Carlsberg, Sky and Samsung. His approach to the different types of media hinges around the idea of the “hook.”

“The obvious difference between commercials and long form is the time frame. So with an ad you've got 40 seconds or less to tell your story. In that time you have to hook someone, tell them something that is of interest to them, in a way that engages, then give some kind of closure before your tie is up. In that sense I see commercials akin to puzzles to be solved.”

‘Let the Outside In’ hooks the viewer with the idea of a natural oasis existing inside an unexpected place. Helen Parker, co-founder and MD at Another, notes that “working collaboratively is always a top priority for her and the team.” The recent campaign for Chase Gin and Vodka “certainly embodied this and that’s why it was such a success.”

Peter concurs: “It’s all about working with people who want to collaborate and are open to ideas. The guys at St Luke’s were super receptive from the word go. And together we reshaped and honed the narrative from prep and right through to being on set. It always felt like everyone was moving in the same direction with a shared vision and a level of trust - that’s essential on productions with such a tight schedule.”

The brief was simultaneously a challenge and an inspiration for the director and for production to solve. “I remember when I first saw the brief and read the script I was drawn in immediately and wanted to engage with the challenge it posed. The idea of seeing nature taking over a beautiful internal space really intrigued me - what would it look like? How would we do it? We aimed to achieve the objective of creating a powerful link between the Chase products and the Herefordshire countryside, where the brand originated. It presented both a literal challenge - how do we actually do it?; and a narrative challenge - how do we keep the meaning on track and succeed in representing the brand’s personality and values?” Peter recalls.

“The messaging behind Chase Gin and Vodka is quintessentially all about the English countryside experience and how it can imbue everything around it,” Helen adds. 

To create the successful and arresting spot, everyone worked together to take the brief from the page to the set, and eventually to every TV screen - even when that required pivoting from the initial idea to best serve its creative essence. Peter explains: “Initially the shoot was going to take place in a studio, but we decided instead to stage it in a real place. That was a major leap forward. To set out to find a space that had its own inherent beauty, like a stately home or manor house. We could then bring in all the natural elements to transform that space without losing its integrity. So, in the end we had the ideal - the beauty of nature inside the beauty of a man-made structure.”

Production played a vital role in executing this creative vision. “We sourced various locations including the mansion, manor houses and stately homes with large rooms bring this to life.  The art department created the beautiful set with real and fake plants; they covered the whole floor with a mat to protect it and then built the set from there,” Helen says. 

“It was important to create a narrative arc that could pull the audience in with a sense of mystery, gradually revealing elements of nature before we dial things up to show how nature has ‘taken over’ these spaces. Then with a kind of twist, our hero finally walks into the last beautiful room to rejoin his friends. But it’s a room where all those natural elements have now gone. To me this helped communicate the idea that nature was a metaphor, an idea or a feeling that our hero was conjuring up with his words,” adds Peter. 

Solving the commercials puzzle isn’t easy but when the right creative minds come together in one room, the impossible starts to look achievable. Often, it requires thinking beyond the brief on the page and relying on the right partners to serve as an inspiration and a sounding board. “Collaborating with the guys from St Luke’s, Another, and the team at Diageo was a joy! And I think the end result really bears that out,” Peter says. 

“It was an amazing team to work with. There was a great sense of purpose, and everyone worked incredibly well together,” concludes Helen.