How Chicken Licken Navigates the Minefield of Modern Love
The winged Roman god of love, desire, and attraction - you’re not thinking of Cupid, are you? According to Chicken Licken, it’s Baba Valentino who should come to mind, the person behind the biggest love stories in history.
Working with the South African brand as part of their long-standing collaboration, the Joe Public team created an alternative tale of Saint Valentine, explaining how Baba Valentino has been pulling the strings behind love stories since the beginning of time.
Over the years, as the Valentinos invented the stuffed teddy bear, picked and arranged the first bouquet for nervous suitors and even invented the mixtape – love’s many complexities now had solutions. But in the ‘00’s, this seems to have gone awry. Modern love seems to be a minefield of liked posts, situationships and, um, feet pictures?
To hear more about how the solution is to simply ‘Love Me Tender’, Joe Public’s integrated executive creative director Adam Weber speaks to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani.
LBB> Chicken Licken’s very own ‘patron of love’ features in this Valentine's Day spot. How did you want to put a twist on celebrations this year?
Adam> When we looked into the story of St Valentine, we thought we could have some fun with the character. We also wondered how it came about that we give certain gifts on Valentine’s Day. So we created Baba Valentino and imagined the story of how he and his descendants created all the clichéd icons of love we know today.
Current-day Baba Valentino faces the complex world of modern love and turns to the Love Me Tender®Burger to solve his woes. We wanted the Love Me Tender® Burger to become a new icon of love.
LBB> The Chicken Licken brand and Joe Public have always worked together to create funny, quirky and memorable spots. Can you talk us through the relationship between brand and agency, as well as how it allows creativity to shine?
Adam> It’s a long-standing relationship where the client has complete faith and trust in the agency and our abilities to create work that South Africa loves. That freedom inspires the creative teams to deliver campaigns that are better than the last.
LBB> In terms of creating Baba Valentino’s character, how did you want him to evolve through the ages?
Adam> How did this transpire through costume and script? Firstly we wanted the character to fit each scenario but with a level of flair and style beyond those around him. We referenced James Brown and Prince and Snoop Dogg’s character in ‘Starsky & Hutch’. Baba felt part of each world, but definitely stood out too.
LBB> What was the casting process like and how did you find the right person to play Baba Valentino?
Adam> With casting comes that constant challenge of finding the right performer as well as someone not overly associated with any other brands or commercials. We cast across South Africa in order to find an actor who was funny and who could embrace all the different Valentinos in the film. Some X-factor always helps and our lead literally became each character the moment he got into the wardrobe.
LBB> How did you choose the eras that fit best with the narrative and how did the story begin to come together from there?
Adam> We started by looking at icons like Cupid, stuffed teddy bears and bouquets and then came up with possible stories of why they were created. It was also about which periods made for distinctive wardrobes and interesting locations.
LBB> In terms of the limited edition Valentine’s Day packaging for the Love Me Tender Burger, what was the process of creating that?
Adam> The limited-edition boxes were based on the existing die and construction but had our campaign look and feel with a range of messages inside the lids. The messages were in the style of Valentine’s messages, but with our modern twist. We produced a series of eight limited edition cards in the same vein. These were free with Love Me Tender® Burgers in select stores.
LBB> During the filming process as well as the edit, what were some of the ways in which you kept the visuals cohesive to support the storytelling?
Adam> We used sets and wardrobe to create a clear distinction between time and place, but the music and narration brought it together. Using the same actor throughout helped too. Titles were added to emphasise the period and which generation of Baba Valentino we were enjoying.
LBB> From a production perspective, how long did it take to create each set and where was the campaign shot?
Adam> Some sets took days to construct, while some were quicker. The big opening scene was shot in Johannesburg’s old Park Station. This 100-year-old train station had the basic architecture of pillars and arches. It was masterfully dressed with props and extras and then in post production, Chocolate Tribe worked their magic. They added floor tiles, statues, plants and even opened up the roof, bringing in a sky to give that open-air Roman market aesthetic.
LBB> What was the most challenging aspect of bringing this campaign together?
Adam> It wasn’t so much a challenge as just a detailed and careful process of scripting, casting, wardrobe and comedic timing. This focus on getting the details right gave us the leeway to have fun on set and capture the best performances.
LBB> What can we expect to see next from Chicken Licken?
Adam> More awesome stuff!
