How This Canadian Mobile Brand Cut Through the Sea of Same
Across many of the world’s markets, effective telecom advertising can be a real challenge. A good number of consumers are already with a brand of choice, so the offerings have to be especially standout in order to be persuasive. There’s also, often, a scepticism associated with the field – one which makes potential clients critically question whether or not a move would end up being more of what they’re already accustomed to. And then of course, reputation does matter. While the court of public opinion is certainly not definitive, it’s hard for a small company to build into a scene where so many options have been tested, tried, and evaluated. After all, if something is already working, what’s the point of changing it up and gambling on something new?
These are exactly the sorts of questions that mobile brand Public Mobile has often found itself asking. In a landscape where enticing features, bigger budgets and longer-established names hold a supremacy, making a splash is a real task… but one which its creative agency, Camp Jefferson, has never shied away from. Abundantly clear in the pair’s latest work - a national campaign expanding on last year’s ‘Different is Calling’ rebrand - the hero 15-second spot targets digital natives who are fed up with the ‘sea of same’. Playing with a fun visual concept in which a café of in-sync women with matching outfits are startled by a Public Mobile sign crashing through the ceiling, the work is fun yet effective in its message, pointing out that in an oversaturated market where everyone is the same, maybe it’s time to try something a little different.
To learn more about just what it took to bring this to life, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Camp Jefferson’s VP, strategy, Aviva Frenkel, as well as associate creative director Aaron Niven for a chat.
LBB> From the top, what was the brief for this campaign, and what immediate ideas came to mind?
Aaron & Aviva> The brief was to position Public Mobile as a different kind of mobility provider. We wanted to pick up where we left off at launch, calling attention to the benefits of trying something different. In a commoditised, saturated category where people often feel there’s little difference between providers, Public Mobile is focused on demonstrating how it breaks the mould.
LBB> Elevating brand awareness in an oversaturated market is no small task. How did this impact your ideation process, and as a whole, how did you approach this challenge?
Aaron & Aviva> This challenge has impacted everything we’ve done since launch. The key question was ‘how do we stand out, especially when our competitors outspend us exponentially?’. With fewer resources post-launch, we zeroed in on distinctiveness. The goal was to create something that would be both intriguing and unmistakably Public Mobile.
LBB> The spot itself is certainly intriguing and unmistakable! What was the shooting process like, and how did it come together?
Aaron & Aviva> The shoot was far from your typical day on set. Since the entire spot takes place in a single shot with some heavy clean-up between takes, we spent a lot of time rehearsing everything. The actors needed to be in sync with each other every step of the way, from texting to sipping then dropping their cups. Our director, Angelo Cerisara, worked with them to find the perfect beats that kept everything under 15 seconds, without feeling rushed. We captured a lot of takes, but you could really feel the whole thing coming together once everyone found that rhythm where they all moved as one.
LBB> The way in which everyone has the same outfit and hairstyle is super fun! As such, what was costuming and casting like? How did you bring this aspect to life?
Aaron & Aviva> There was a lot of thought put into the wardrobe before the actual fitting took place. But once we had all the actors together on set, it was a lot of fun to see them walking around in a group.
As for the casting, that played a big part in the success of the look. We searched for people who had similar features, yet still had their own individuality, ensuring that the feeling of ‘the same, but different’ was evident in the final scene.
LBB> The sign falling down is awesome! Was this done completely in post? Or were there practical effects involved?
Aaron & Aviva> After we captured the actors moving in sync, we shot additional plates of all the extra pieces we wanted to work into the scene: the picture falling off the wall, coffee bags falling from the shelves, plants tipping over, light fixtures swinging, and so on. Once everything was comped together there were more layers than you could count, but each little moment really helped the scene come to life.
LBB> Building on this, what was the post process like? How did you bring the final vision to life?
Aaron & Aviva> We worked closely with Tantrum, who created the CG meteor crashing through the ceiling. We had captured some of the falling debris on the day, but for most of the post-production process you had to really use your imagination to picture the final result. In the end, the team worked their magic and we were all blown away with the look of everything.
The same thing happened with sound design. We worked with Berkeley and when we sat in the studio and heard the soundscape they put together for this, it took everything to a whole new level.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?
Aaron & Aviva> The biggest challenge was trying to get that many actors moving as one and hitting each of the beats that were needed to make the spot a success. It involved a lot of practice and many takes, but it paid off in the end.
LBB> What lessons have you learned in the making of this work?
Aaron & Aviva> This project reinforced a key lesson we’ve learned throughout our careers – always choose the best possible partners for the job and let them do their thing.
LBB> Finally, is there an element of this campaign you’re most proud of?
Aaron & Aviva> It’s hard to choose one thing. All of the pieces really came together to make this an exciting spot – take any of those pieces away, and it just wouldn’t be the same.
