Live Streaming Lovers as Cupid Takes to Periscope

There’s nothing chintzy or cheesy about Kingsday’s campaigns for the Flower Council of Holland; in fact they’ve been bringing roses and tulips and lilies to the cutting edge of creative technology. Last year they re-imagined Cupid as a little red drone, dropping roses off to random members of the public (earning over four million views in the process). For 2016, Cupid is back but this time he’s a sharply dressed hunk who will be encouraging strangers to flirt via live streaming app Periscope. The campaign was launched with a film showing Cupid work his magic in Rome – and on February 14, the team will be on the ground in Paris and Berlin, broadcasting this romantic mission to the world. Live.

LBB’s Laura Swinton caught up with Kingsday’s Darren Reynoldson and Sander Litjens and director Edwin Nikkels to talk flower power.

LBB> This year you’re embracing live streaming as Cupid takes to Periscope on Valentine’s Day. What led to the idea to delve into the world of Live Streaming?

DR> In everything we do for Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk we try to focus on the joy flowers bring. To people who get them, but also to the ones that do the giving. This year we wanted the world to experience that. How cool is it if you make someone’s day by just giving them a rose? For real. Live.

LBB> Without giving too much away, what can viewers expect?

SL> We hope to see hours of happy people, but to be honest, we’re not sure. That’s one of the aspects of live advertising, I guess...

DR> And there will probably be a bit of awkwardness. It’s live flirting between total strangers after all. In public. So things could get interesting...hopefully in a good way.

LBB> From a practical and production point of view, what are the challenges of preparing for a live streaming even like this?

DR> The biggest challenge is without doubt the legal issues. Lawyers and creatives have never really been a good love match. But we have to be mindful about respecting people’s privacy.

SL> The nice thing is that all these streaming apps made something that used to be almost impossible, a live broadcast, incredibly easy.

LBB> What sort of potential do you think live streaming, whether on Periscope, Facebook Live or Twitch, has for brands and ad agencies?

SL> It’s exciting, unscripted, real, now, authentic… All things we know people like, right?

LBB> What’s even more challenging is that you’re going to be streaming from both Paris and Berlin! Why did you decide on these two cities?

DR> We asked Command Cupid to shoot an arrow at a map of Europe, and these were the two he hit. Doesn’t hurt that they’re the capital cities of Love and of Cool.

LBB> Last year Cupid was cute and cheeky (the little drone), this year he’s rather hot, sharply dressed and tousled – how much fun did you have reinterpreting Cupid? And why did you decide to go down this route?

SL> It was fun to play with the clichés and try to bring Cupid into the 21st Century.

LBB> You worked with director Edwin Nikkels on the film – and he directed Cupid Drone last year too. What does he bring to the films?

DR> Edwin’s great in finding that sweet spot between creating something epic and intimate. Between real and fantastic.

LBB> 2015 was all about drones, this year it’s live streaming. Flowers and cutting edge creative tech is quite an unusual pairing – what do you think it brings to the brand? How does it change preconceptions about flowers and romance?

SL> People think that flowers, romance and love are somehow old fashioned - we wanted to show that they are still modern & cutting edge.

DR> And to prove that giving flowers is fun, for any age. Also, at Kingsday we always like using the latest technology, but only if it fits naturally with the creative idea. And if Cupid was around today he'd definitely be using apps like Periscope or Tinder, so it felt like a perfect fit.

LBB> What was the response like from the public (in Rome) when you turned up with a rather hunky-looking cupid and a lot of roses?

EN> The response from the people was amazing. Our Cupid looked so convincing and ‘in place‘ in the streets of Rome with his custom made wings that bystanders instantly pulled out their phones to snap a selfie or pose with our charming lead.

LBB> It’s the second time you’ve shot the Valentine’s campaign for the Flower Council – what is it about the brand and creative that is appealing to you as a director?

EN> The client and the agency (Kingsday) were over the moon with last year’s Cupidrone-film, hitting four million views. So asking me for a second time was not only rewarding, but taking into consideration that flowers are the number one export product in The Netherlands, you can understand that these projects come with some pride as well.

LBB> What were the main challenges involved in this project?

EN> One word: Rome. Rome is an amazing city to shoot in with so many gorgeous locations, but not getting all the right permits on time turned this shoot into a very complicated puzzle. This puzzle was all fine in my head, but explaining it to all parties involved took 90 per cent of my time and energy, which was unfortunate. But it’s something that comes with these kinds of shoots. *laughs*

LBB> This year the campaign also uses a live streaming element on Valentine’s Day. I’m really curious to know what your thoughts are about Live Streaming from a director’s perspective? 

EN> As a director I’m not involved with the live events in Paris and Berlin, but I’ll be there online to see how things unfold. Like Kingsday I’m always interested in implementing the latest technology, like shooting with drones. I’ve installed the Periscope-app and can’t wait to be inspired!