“Forwardism comes home” is the new BMW 7 Series campaign created by Serviceplan Middle East, the centerpiece being this film in which we see unique metal birds connecting the aluminum sustainably sourced in the region all the way to the development of the new BMW 7, and follow them on a journey through some of the most iconic landscapes in the Middle East.
William Armstrong directed the piece via Boomtown Productions.
In 2022, BMW Group forged a global partnership with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the UAE’s largest industrial company outside the oil and gas sector, to be the first customer for its new CelestiAL aluminum. The first of its kind, this aluminum is locally produced using solar power generated at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The “Forwardism” film premiered during December 2022 at private screenings across the Middle East, attended by BMW’s VIP clientele and key stakeholders.
Serviceplan Middle East worked closely with BMW during a six-month period to bring the creative idea for the “Forwardism” campaign to life.
Serviceplan Middle East creative director André Couto commented: “It’s not every day that we have the chance to create a film that breaks the conventional imagery of automotive ads. Instead of talking about horsepower, engines and driving technologies, we chose to highlight the genesis of the car and its materials–it’s a matter of great prestige that BMW Group uses aluminum that is sourced here in the Middle East and produced using solar power. It was this historic partnership that inspired us to create this film and tell this story.”
In an electrified vehicle, CO2 emissions from the use phase are much lower, but producing battery cells or aluminum is extremely energy-intensive. The BMW Group not only wants to stop this trend, but also reverse it–and even lower CO2 emissions per vehicle by 20% from 2019 levels.
BMW Group are targeting a 5% reduction in global CO2 use-phase emissions by 2030 and 40% reduction in CO2 emissions during the entire life cycle of a vehicle. Rethinking how they source and use energy is crucial to achieve such ambitious targets. Since 2019, 100 percent of electricity used for BMW Group’s Plants worldwide has been from renewable energy sources. This also includes the groundbreaking partnership with EGA, which provided BMW with aluminum using solar power. In 2021, 100 percent of solar aluminum produced by EGA was sourced exclusively to BMW Group.
Aluminum is lightweight, strong and infinitely recyclable, and that is why it has an important role to play in developing a more sustainable society and making modern life possible. One key example of this is by improving the efficiency of vehicles through reducing their weight. But it also matters how sustainably aluminum is made. Solar aluminum is a step forward–it uses a natural and abundant source of energy in the desert environment to make a metal that is vital to our planet’s future.
This milestone move is expected to reduce BMW Group’s carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 2.5 million tons over a 10-year period.
CreditsClient BMW Group Middle East Ali Kherallah, head of marketing; Mariam Al Rousan, marketing communications manager. Agency Serviceplan Middle East Rami Hmadeh, Natalie Shardan, manager partners; Frances Valerie Bonifacio, head of strategy; Jason Romeyko, worldwide executive creative director; Akhilesh Bagri, chief creative officer; Andre Couto, Saleh Elghatit, Natalie Sharden, creative directors; Yasir Ali Baloshi, Kenneth Barnes, Kunai Gagwani, art directors; Aashna Gopalkrishnan, Zein Sadedin, Karim Mroueh, copywriters. Production Company Boomtown Productions William Armstrong, director; Shane Martin, exec producer; Pratixa Shah, producer; Deo Van Zyl, DP; Mannu Singh, post producer; Neda Ahmed, editor; Nicolas Martinez, VFX supervisor; Olaia Casal, VFX EP; Viciana NIno, VFX producer. Color Eighty4 Marc Insa, colorist. Music 10db Denmark Anders Vesterdahl, music. Sound Design ElCamino Helsinki Niko Henttonen, sound designer. Qatar Line Production Resolution Films KSA Line Production LetterGray, Riyadh. Asker Afaunov, DIT; Hatim Saleh, aerial coorindator; Preet Kalra, art director; Kamal Farjallah, wardrobe stylist; Kat Allen, hair & makeup; Matteo Granziol, location manager; Gayan Gurusinghe, unit manager.
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