Thinkbox, the marketing body for TV advertising in the U.K., is back with this tongue-in-cheek spot, “Happily Ever After,” from agency Mother London, directed by Jonny & Will from Blinkink.
The piece introduces us to Michael Goose, a passionate and devoted lawyer, and his struggle to build his business, which deals exclusively with nursery rhyme-related injustices. Despite his best efforts, the first few years were tough. But after securing a lucrative pay out for Jack and Jill (citing a public right of way and water-fetching bylaw), Michael re-invested the profits in a TV ad for his firm. That’s when everything changed. Overnight, Happily Ever After Law Associates became an institution. It wasn’t long before every blind mouse, eloping spoon, and popped weasel was beating down Michael’s door for legal representation. Cases featured in the new ad include Incy Wincy’s sudden and soaking eviction notice and Mrs Dumpty’s lawsuit for gross “eggligence.”
The ad dramatizes a common story for many businesses: to go to the next stage of growth and scale up, they turn to TV advertising to drive new, widespread demand. With its ability to reach vast audiences, grab attention, engender trust, forge emotional connections, and make brands famous, TV helps brands jump over the moon.
James Lucking, creative at Mother, said, “The hardest part of working on this campaign was being brought face- to-face with the startling amount of injustice, malpractice and negligence which is so abundant in the world of nursery rhymes. We simply knew we had to do something about it. Fortunately, Thinkbox believe in ideas and care about the craft to tell this story. And Blinkink are the perfect partners to deliver on something this bonkers.”
Credits
Client Thinkbox Agency Mother London Mother, creative & strategy. Production Blinkink Jonny & Will, directors; Josef Byrne, exec producer; Cindy Burnay, producer; Will Bex, DP; Jonny Sabbagh, Will Harper, Tim cherry-Jones, puppeteers; Joe Withers, art department. Cast Matt Green, Ellie Nunn. Editorial TenThree Nick Armstrong, editor; Rachel Goodger, edit producer. VFX/Postproduction No.8 Jim Allen, VFX supervisor; Alex Gregory, colorist; Glen Percival, postproduction sr. producer; Helen Castelow, illustration; David Khosravani, After Effects animator. Audio No.8 Sam Robson, sound engineer/sound design. Music Supervision Will Harper, Tristan Williams. Media Agency MediaCom
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