People, Post and Production: How Fifty Fifty Is Set To Conquer The Commercials World
Over the past few years, the industry has witnessed a monumental change in creative ownership that has affected every player in the production supply chain and forced them to re-evaluate their offering. Clients have become savvier and more discretionary with their budgets and they are actively seeking out more collaborative ways to streamline their spending on creative finish, without servicing extreme overheads or wasted downtime.
Recognising this need for a new way of working, Soho post outfit Fifty Fifty embarked on a journey to fundamentally adapt its offering, transforming it into the one-stop shop that clients were looking for. Informed by its rich heritage in shortform and success in broadcast, the post house discovered the solution to tackling the rapidly-shifting landscape of post and delivering consistent, high-quality creative content: special relationships, independent working, and attention to detail.
Since their inception in 2003, countless companies have benefitted from Fifty Fifty’s creative and technical problem-solving and recognised the unique value of its post prowess and deeply personal approach to client relationships.
“They just get it,” explains Richard Barnett, Head of Audio Visual at Havas Worldwide. “Fifty Fifty can take a project and run with it, giving us piece of mind for a quick turnaround.”
In a series of beautifully observed moments, this film for Lexus locates the LC 500 within the prestigious heritage of the festival held at the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, capturing the scale and atmosphere of the event, where motoring fans have an exclusive opportunity to see famous drivers and some iconic cars climb the iconic uphill track.
For over 13 years, they have concentrated on developing strong relationships with their broadcast and commercials customers that has created a loyalty that’s allowing them to thrive within today’s turbulent and fragmenting market.
"Fifty Fifty has the ability and attitude to take on large projects at little notice and their client service mirrors ours, I like that" comments Yann Gerdrot, Client Services Director of Freedman International.
Initially starting out as a short form-only facility, relied upon by agencies such as BBH, RKCR/Y&R, Brothers and Sisters, Adam & Eve and Ogilvy, in 2009, having spent six years establishing a formidable reputation in the field, Fifty Fifty expanded into long form adding clients ITV Sport, A&E Networks and ITV to their roster.
Ed Taylor, Creative Director at Potato, ITV Studios says: “Fifty Fifty have a very genuine, engaged way of working which totally supports my belief that strong relationships deliver the best production.”
Cara Kotschy, who became MD in 2010, comments: “While the process of adding a broadcast offering alongside our commercials arm was actually quite a big undertaking and a major learning curve, it really made us reassess the way we approached our business and identified the need to diversify our offering – something that has stuck with us throughout these years. We quickly had to re-equip and invest in more technology which changed the scope of our set up and offering completely.”
While Fifty Fifty’s core creative team have remained largely the same since its foundation, the post house owes its nimbleness to embracing every opportunity to grow and transform its services. They now offer end-to-end production through close client partnerships and are reaping the rewards of their investment.
A recent collaboration with Fergus Hynd for AncestryDNA allowed Fifty Fifty to demonstrate it’s stellar production capabilities. Creating a striking campaign without any traditional agency involvement, Fifty Fifty were able to offer the client a uniquely streamlined method of production.
Demonstrating how AncestryDNA can reveal surprises as to who you are and where you come from, this powerful campaign from Fifty Fifty and Fergus Hynd features real people discovering the true story behind their DNA for the very first time.
Fergus Hynd explains: “This new way of working gave us the ability to be leaner and more reactive to proposals. I’ve worked with Fifty Fifty for many years now so this was the perfect opportunity to combine our two disciplines. It was so refreshing to be able to have Fifty Fifty’s production expertise on hand so we could offer the reality of executing the idea whilst developing the creative.”
Julian Nelson, Fifty Fifty’s Head of Online adds: “We are a boutique company that endeavours to create a relaxed and productive working environment for everyone: a home away from home. Each client that walks through the door is treated as an individual and each project is as important as the next.”
Last year, Fifty Fifty put out over 70 hours of broadcast TV, worked across 20 campaigns and projects, cut two feature films, and mastered over 1500 hours of content. With 13 years of post experience under its belt and a uniquely personalised approach to relationships, Fifty Fifty’s clients can always depend on the fact that they’ll be in good hands.
“Fifty Fifty offers excellent support with a complete understanding of our technical workflows,” says Tim Mackenzie of Deadpan Films. “We are less client, more family.”
