“If not now, then when? That’s the sentiment behind Northwestern Mutual’s new fully integrated, cross-platform advertising campaign created by agency Mirimar and featuring an anthem film as well as several commercials directed by Niclas Larsson of MJZ and lensed by Oscar-winning (La La Land) cinematographer Linus Sandgren
Northwestern Mutual’s proprietary research revealed that Americans have an overwhelming desire to pursue their dreams now, rather than wait for that elusive “someday.” Yet, financial insecurity is preventing them from going after what’s most important. The “Great Realization” campaign is a cultural rallying cry for all Americans who have been delaying their dreams to put their priorities into sharp focus and act by creating a financial plan.
This anthem film shares and articulates the “Great Realization,” bringing the emotive stories in the individual commercials to the fore, introducing its protagonists–a young chef who wants to start her own restaurant, leaving the big city to get back to her roots; a young family planning an extended trip to Japan so their son can connect with his heritage; and a workaholic dad who decides to take the kayaking trip of a lifetime with his daughter.
“We’re proud to partner with Northwestern Mutual and make work together that taps into a cultural truth and people everywhere seizing the life experiences they’ve been held back from or put off,” said John McKelvey, founder and chief creative officer of Mirimar. “There’s an urgency to enjoying life we all feel now and ‘The Great Realization’ movement embraces this.’’
Client Northwestern Mutual Agency Mirimar John McKelvey, founder, chief creative officer; Luke McKelvey, founder, managing director; Nick Morrissey, executive creative director; Meredith Chase, chief strategy officer; Eron Broughton, Mike Egan, Josh Braithwaite, creative directors; Winston Farley, copywriter; James Kunzler, art director; Bella Davies, jr. art director; Amy Berriochoa, sr. producer. Production MJZ Niclas Larsson, director; Linus Sandgren, DP; David Zander, president/co-founder; Erik Krumins, exec producer; Jacqueline Wilkinson, producer. Editorial Cabin Editorial Carla Luffe, editor; Doug Scott, sr. cutting assistant; Katy Lester, producer; Britt Carson, sr. producer; Adam Becht, exec producer. VFX KEVIN Tim Davies, executive creative director/partner; Sue Troyan, sr. exec producer/partner; Jamie Schakel, sr. VFX producer; Pete Smith, on set VFX supervisor; Steve Gibbons, compositing lead; Rob Winfield, Susanne Scharping, 2D; Miguel Delcan, design. Color Company 3 Sophie Borup, sr. colorist; Julia Paskert, head of production, short form; Alexandra Lubrano, producer, short form. Music/Sound Design & Mix Barking Owl Kelly Bayett, creative director/co-founder; KC Dossett, sr. producer; Barking Owl, composer; Mike Franklin, sound design/mix; Beau Manning, assistant.
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