VR fitness app Supernatural reintroduces itself with the “Unreal Fitness” campaign which depicts the totally immersive in-headset experience, sharing breathtaking landscapes where members sweat through full-body movements choreographed to the beat of high-energy music.
For the brand relaunch–coming after Meta acquired the business earlier this year—-Supernatural traveled to Iceland to shoot this commercial titled “Feel The Real,” with director Neels Castillon and production company RSA Films to fully capture what it means to jab, cross, squat and flow inside the Meta Quest headset.
“One of the defining aspects of Supernatural is our ability to suspend reality and make people feel like they’re actually working out in these incredible places. To communicate that in the creative, we needed to be there physically,” said Supernatural co-founder Chris Milk.
Deciding to shoot the campaign on-location set in motion a whirlwind three weeks of pre-production, in tight partnership with the team at RSA Films.
“I’ve been a longtime fan of Chris Milk’s directorial work and VR art pieces, so it felt like a dream job when he and his team approached me to direct this campaign,” said Castillon. “When I first tried Supernatural, I was genuinely immersed in the landscape and had a fulfilling workout experience. I wanted to convey as much of this emotion as possible within the commercial and was thrilled that we agreed to shoot the campaign in real-life breathtaking locations, because nothing compares to experiencing the power of nature, especially in Iceland. Working with Supernatural, with the support of my team at RSA and our Icelandic production partner, Comrade Films, we captured stunning footage–conveying the perfect blend of strong energy and poetic beauty that represents what Supernatural means to me.”
CreditsClient Supernatural (Meta) Chris Milk, co-founder, Supernatural; Samantha Scott, head of content; Kevin Kearney, head of design; Zach Richter, creative director; Sapna Kirk, head of marketing; Elle Obletz, brand marketing lead; Par Guiv, sr. producer; Rayne Chapman, design lead. Brand Platform Development Mythology Anthony Sperduti, executive creative director; Audrey Attal, Kim Haxton, creative directors; Parker Barnum, managing director. Production RSA Films Neels Castillon, director; Luke Ricci, president and exec producer; Matilde Pinto, exec producer; Tom O’Connell, head of production; Clint Caluory, producer. Local Production Company Comrade Films Jean-Michel Paoli, exec producer; Kiln V.J. Paoli, line producer; Siggi Kjartan, 1st assistant director; Eric Blanckaert, DP; Fanny Sage, choreography. Editorial & VFX The Mill Anastasia Von Rahl, managing director; James Allen, creative director; Hillary Thomas, exec producer; Scott Tinter, head of production; Katie Buckley, sr. VFX producer. Sound Lime Studios Michael Anastasi, supervising sound designer; Michael Baran, assistant sound designer; Susie Boyajan, exec 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