At the heart of this campaign for Pay.UK Current Account Switch Service (CASS) is a playful yet relatable narrative, brought to life in the hero TV commercial, “Blind Date.” Directed by Rosie May Bird Smith of Biscuit Filmworks for agency House 337, the spot follows a woman nervously meeting her blind date, only to discover the person waiting for her is someone you definitely wouldn’t want to meet on a blind date. The voiceover reassures: ”Blind dates. They’re a bit like switching bank accounts. You don’t want any surprises. That’s why we guarantee there won’t be any when you switch with the Current Account Switch Service.”
“Everyone knows the pain of a bad date, the gut-churning realization you’ve texted your boss instead of your mate, and being stuck next to someone eating the world’s stinkiest lunch,” said Ross Newton, creative director, House 337, who added, “Life is a minefield of unwanted surprises, so coming up with the campaign idea was the easy part. The real challenge was deciding which situations to include and which to ditch. Sadly, these scenarios are all too relatable for us all, myself included.”
Credits
Client Pay.UK Current Account Switch Service (CASS) Agency House 337 Josh Green chief creative officer; Ross Newton, creative director; Caitlin Chakraborty, Indi Morland, Nick Coates; Gabriella Kohli, creatives; Matt Sanders, head of design; Joe Chakravorty, design director; Nick Dinnen, sr. motion designer; Rebecca Zhang, strategy director; Sam Chapman, sr. strategist; Victoria Fisher, head of delivery & integrated production; Laura Melville, sr. producer. Production Company Biscuit Filmworks Rosie May Bird Smith, director; Adam Oyejobi, producer; Shawn Lacy, founding partner; Rupert Reynolds-Maclean, managing director; Hanna Bayatti, Katie Keith, exec producers; Emily Ahterton, head of production; Nanu Segal, DP; Sarah Jenneson, production designer; Wiz Francis, costume designer; Emma Garrett, casting director; Eve Coles, hair & makeup artist. Editorial TenThree Beth Roberts, editor; Puck Van Dijk, edit assistant; Maya Kilic, edit producer. VFX, Color & Sound No.8 Toby O’Connell, online; Johnny Tully, colorist; George Castle, sound engineer; Lisa Fox, VFX, color & sound producer.
Developed pro-bono by creative agency GUT Miami for The Ad Council, this long-form PSA for parents and those with youth in their lives features real students and their parents--not actors--attending what they think is a student debate on the question, “Who holds the greatest responsibility to address the gun violence that impacts children and teens?” As the students answer, it becomes clear that gun violence prevention is not a divisive two-sided debate and that we can agree on a lot when it comes to the issue. The “debate” stops as the students confront the audience and unite behind the chilling stat that gun injuries are the number one cause of death for children and teens in America. Viewers are encouraged to take action by visiting AgreeToAgree.org, where individuals can learn about gun violence and how to have conversations with their communities supported by conversations guides and resources.
Lauren Greenfield directed this “Agree to Agree” campaign PSA via Institute, the production company she founded.
The Ad Council launched its overall “Agree to Agree” campaign today (2/27) at Northwell Health’s 6th annual Gun Violence Prevention Forum.
“Gun violence in America impacts us all and, tragically, it is the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States,” said Michelle Hillman, chief campaign development officer, the Ad Council. “It is time we change the belief that conversations about gun violence always end in a heated debate or impasse. This powerful new work shows that we all have a role in creating positive change, starting from the common ground we share.”
“Gun violence is perceived as a highly charged and divisive topic, so we knew we had to take a different approach to break... Read More
