This short introduces us to Claudine, an elderly lady who spends her time with B.E.N., a companion robot. But the quality of that time comes into question–particularly as it concerns being able to combat the woman’s loneliness.
B.E.N. is an abbreviation for “Bionically Engineered Nursing.” And despite the amazing technology, there’s no substitute for the human touch to remedy a person’s isolation. Through this short, the Society of Saint-Vincent-De-Paul (SSVP), a charity network in France, makes the case for people to volunteer and spend time with those in need of human interaction. SSVP has been fighting loneliness and isolation since its founding in 1833,
Ad agency CLM BBDO, Paris, came up with the concept for this short, titled “B.E.N.,” which was directed by David Wilson via Paris production house La Pac.
Credits
Client Society of Saint-Vincent-De-Paul Agency CLM BBDO Matthieu Elkaim, creative director, BBDO Paris Charles Dessaux, art director; Emile Martin, copywriter; Julien Sanson, production director, BBDO Paris; Martine Ferey, post producer, BBDO Paris; Corentin Monot, strategic planning director; Ophelia Doria, strategic planner; Lauren Weber, communications director. Production La Pac David Wilson, director; Jérôme Denis, Anna Roudaut, executive producers; Antoine Ricard, 1st assistant director; Victor Seguin, DP. Editorial Roxane Huet Ferret and Emily Aubry, editors. Postproduction Mikros Fabrice Damolini, post producer; Laruent Creusot, Jao M’changama, Flame; Sebastien Mingam, Magalie Leonard, grading. Sound Production THE Raphaël Fruchard, sound producer.
Blinkink director Jack Brown created this stop motion film to tell a handmade story for Tekla’s holiday campaign.
Established in Copenhagen in 2017, Tekla was born from a desire to bring modernity and freedom of expression to the homeware category. As a brand, it rejects rapid trend cycles by designing for longevity, with an uncompromising focus on quality and responsible production. Brown’s use of stop-motion animation, using only Tekla fabrics, places both the brand’s story and its values front and center.
The film takes us on the journey of a teddy bear exploring the enchanted interiors of the Tekla Copenhagen store. The vibe feels dreamlike and the addition of stop motion adds a tenderness to the film. Inspired by the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, the campaign features iconic figures and nods to his fairytales; the towering mattresses of The Princess and the Pea, the magical umbrella of The Sandman, and the floating luggage of The Flying Trunk.
Brown said, “What an amazing little project this was, and for such a great brand. Tekla was such a cool client to work with. I suggested making the whole ad out of their fabrics and within 24 hours, there were boxes of beautiful fabrics being delivered for us to cut to pieces. Everything you see is about the size of an A4 sheet of paper and all hand cut, stitched and animated by a very small team of very talented people. Anita Bruvere was the lead builder and animator and did such an amazing job of turning all these tiny pieces of fabric into a magical world.”
