There are circumstances in life to which the expression “one size fits all” applies to everyone’s benefit, but in-school learning is not one of them. That’s the belief of pre-k-12 technology company Renaissance as reflected in its first brand film, “Dopplelearners,” directed by Clay Weiner of Biscuit Filmworks for Goodby Silverstein & Partners.
“Dopplelearners” tells the story of one student’s journey through a typical school day, where he struggles to simply be seen for the unique person he is.
“I think we can all remember moments from our school days when we felt a bit at sea and the one teacher who really helped us feel seen in those moments,” said GS&P creative director Jon Wyville. “As we worked with Clay to develop the script, we talked a lot about John Hughes and all his funny yet deeply emotional films. We wanted to create a kind of day-in-the-life story of highs and lows in which you empathized not only with the student but ultimately with the teacher as well.”
The film, which will run internationally beginning in late spring, is the first piece of creative in Renaissance’s “See Every Student” campaign. It is part of a new brand identity that embraces the company’s almost 40-year history as a leader in K–12 education technology while taking a fresh and forward-looking approach to the future of Renaissance.
CreditsClient Blackstone Brand Renaissance Agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners Margaret Johnson, partner, chief creative officer; Jon Wyville, Jon Wolanske, creative directors; Paul Rice, art director; Collin Smith, copywriter; Johann Vernizzi, designer; Bonnie Wan, partner, head of brad strategy; Christine Chen, partner, head of communication strategy; Stephanie Phillips, group brand strategy director; Chelsea Bruzzone, sr. brand strategist; Nick Reggars, group content strategy director; Jim Haight, digital production; Danielle Riccardi, executive producer; Tiffany Yeh, producer. Production Biscuit Filmworks Clay Weiner, director; Shawn Lacy, partner/managing director; Adam Marsden, DP; Holly Vega, exec producer; Biz Bottomley, producer; Sean Moody, head of production; Francois Jordaan, production designer; Angela Koszuta, wardrobe stylist; Raquel Atienza, hair & makeup artist. Editorial Cabin Editing Company Andrew Ratzlaff, editor; Doug Scott, assistant editor; Adam Becht, exec producer; Marta Navarrete, post producer. Audio & Sound Design Lime Studios Adam Primack, sound designer, audio engineer; Meg Ochs, assistant mixer; Susan Boyajan, exec producer; Cassie Underwood, producer. Music Songs for Film and T.V. K.S. Rhoads, audio engineer; David Fisher, exec producer; K.S. Rhoads, producer; Music--”Renaissance v8” by K.S. Rhoads Identity Design Pentagram Luke Hayman, partner/creative director; Shigeto Akiyama, associate partner; Antonio Nogueira, Rob Hewitt, designers; Avery George, project manager. VFX KEVIN Gareth Parr, shoot supervisor, VFX lead Flame artist; Sue Troyan, sr. exec producer; Jami Schakel, sr. VFX producer; Connor Van Der Linde, VFX coordinator; Steve Gibbons, Susanne Scharping, Flame artists; Dag Ivarsoy, Luke Yalva, Nuke artists. Color TRAFIK Daniel De Vue, colorist; Julia King, color producer.
NHS England, M&C Saatchi UK, Director Tom Tagholm Team On PSA Highlighting The Overlooked Signs Of A Stroke
National Health Service (NHS) England has unveiled a multichannel campaign, “Act FAST,” to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing “Help Us, Help You” campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.
The campaign depicts everyday situations where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.
A key component of the campaign is this :30--directed by Tom Tagholm of Various Films--which sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The PSA emphasizes that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said, “We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.”
Matt Lee, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi UK, commented: “This is important work. We wanted to explore that precise moment when your world shifts, quietly yet powerfully, off its axis during a stroke. We highlight how a tiny external moment can actually be seismic—an extraordinary gear change, framed in a really ordinary way.”
Director Tagholm shared, “My Dad suffered a stroke a few years ago and was saved from the worst by acting quickly, and by the work of the NHS. So there’s... Read More