By Malay Desai
From: Norway, by TRY/Apt
A three-part series of films by the bank opens with a woman waking up with a hangover and finding herself in a plush suite and engaged to George Clooney. Next, she’s shown video-chatting with her friend from the suite, prepping to head out. In the final instalment, a group of people is shown escaping from a pirate ship, their chasers in tow. They reach an island and bury a treasure chest they’ve taken. Cut to modern day, Clooney and the woman are about to set up a picnic on this island, when they discover the treasure. ‘Some people are lucky in life. For the rest, saving up can be smart,’ is the copy at the end of each spot.
Why we Like
After we spoke about a Bruce Willis spot in this space the week before last, here’s another mention in the ‘apt usage of celebrity’ category, and this one’s as poignant, if not more. The client is the Scandinavian country’s biggest financial services group, and the problem being tackled is the mindset of many Norwegians of not believing in saving, resulting in low savings accounts.
Firstly, credit is owed to the agency for pulling of a three-part series (there seems to be no cash-crunch up there) with a global celebrity to act in two of them. The three spots are strung together well, and even with the final one being vastly different thanks to its cinematic touch, its surprise rounds up the campaign powerfully.
The underlying message is something banks have been saying since centuries – save up for a rainy day, and this is just a reiteration that things don’t magically fix themselves or one can’t wait to win a lottery. That said, the treatment is the star here, and is refreshing that it’s coming from a bank.
The opening spot is definitely the cracker, the universal fantasy of a woman-waking-up-in-George- Clooney’s-bed is portrayed hilariously. That Clooney tells her about their forthcoming trip sets up the next two ads, although astoundingly, all three ads appear independent on multiple viewings. The second spot is just a fillin between two big productions; the words ‘talk to us about savings’ appear strikingly to the lucky woman’s friend.
The finale, however packs the unexpected punch and delivers superb production too, in showing a bunch of pirates chasing a group of men with a treasure chest. Clooney and the woman appear in the ad just when you wonder what the heck could this be, and instantly hit nail on head. Targeted Norwegians, LOL but get thinking too.
We have bank TVCs by the dozen, but most of them belong to a box. Paste a celeb walking through a bank or show a disgruntled customer v/s satisfied customer and job’s done. Well we’re not saying get a Clooney, but invest in a new approach, y’all!
To watch this spot, log on to - Goo.gl/YR4ce
