U.K. retailer Lidl takes us to Christmas present and future, bringing us to the holiday feast table to see it evolve over the decades in this centerpiece spot, “Always,” directed by Gary Freedman via Independent Films for London agency Karmarama, with visual effects from Absolute in London.
The wry spot underscores that the more things change, the more they stay the same. As the cast propels forward into future festive fantasies, the performance, script, and costume of each actor get a space-age overhaul for the relevant decade. Uncle Gary goes from living in Spain, to the moon, to FOREVER, and the turkey is cut by knife, then laser, then hologram machine. Meanwhile Oggy the dog goes from begging for a pig in blanket, to using a speech generating device, to mentally manifesting for it–even though he’s since “gone vegan.” Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
Absolute were tasked with bringing the gift of VFX to a whopping 30 shots for the :60 edit. “Christmas ads in the UK are a bit like Super Bowl ads,” said Absolute’s Creative Director, Jonas McQuiggin. “They’re competitive, awash with spectacle and full of anticipation. So, when the opportunity to join in came down our chimney, we couldn’t say no–especially when the script was loaded with comedy, VFX and, most importantly, Christmas dinner.”
CreditsClient Lidl Agency Karmarama, London Nik Studzinski, chief creative officer Luke Ramm, Joe Holt, creative directors; Fiona Moseley, Louisa Whitehead, creative team; David White, TV producer; Amie Nedwell, production assistant. Production Independent Films, London Gary Freedman, director; Ciska Faulkner, producer; John Lynch, DP; Cat Meredydd, production manager; Katie Giovanni, food stylist; Cynthia Lawrence-John, costume designer. Casting Hammond Cox Casting Thom Hammond, casting director. Editorial The Assembly Rooms Adam Spivey, editor; Daniel Breheny, head of production; Liz Trnovsky, producer. Color Grade Company 3 London Jean-Clement Soret, Steffan Perry, colorists; Ellora Soret, color EP; Chris Anthony, color producer; Dominic Phipps, assistant colorist; Adam Stanndard, data lab supervisor. VFX/Post Absolute, London Jonas McQuiggin, Phil Oldham, creative directors; Chris Tobin, 2D lead; Harvey David, Lucas Warren, Tom Clapp, Nuke artists; Keith Rogers, Matt Burn, CG supervisors; Craig Healy, FX artist; Ollie Grant, Dan Baiton, Huggy Stephens, Sean Elliot, CG artists; Pedro De la Puente, concept artist; Luke Barker, graphics; Thomas Higgins, Tom Boucher, editorial; Ran Manolov, CG character design; Sally Heath, exec producer; Kirsty Ratcliffe, sr. producer; Maddie Godsill, production assistant.
(Toolbox: Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Flame, Adobe Photoshop, Substance Painter, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve) Sound Wave Studios Tony Rapaccioli, engineer; Rebecca Boswell, producer. Music Supervision Major Tom
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