Back in April I worked with Cogent Elliott on a crazy piece for Subaru. I’ve done a few humorous projects over the years but nothing like this. My brief was to shoot two scripts in the style of early norties spoof Japanese game show Banzai.
The films both feature pairs competing against each other in coffee drinking and lipstick application whilst riding in the passenger seat of one Subaru Outback and one competitor vehicle. The challenges are designed to convey the benefits of the Subaru Outback Boxer Diesel’s new Lineartronic transmission, which gives the smoothest diesel ride ever!
Filming happened over one day at Prodrive and got me directing from the most uncomfortable and bumpy car boot I’ve ever worked in! (Not the Subaru I should say.) Making these films was great fun, and I had the chance to experiment with directing humour for the first time professionally. Great scripts from Craig Wood and voiceover delivered by Simon Greenall, voice of Aleksandr Orlov, comparethemeerkat.com and Lewis Macleod all adds up to a fun filled few minutes of “Sento” madness.
Fresh Awards 2013 – Silver – Online Film Campaign
Cream Awards 2013 – Silver – Viral Marketing
Voices by Simon Greenall and Lewis Macleod
Director: Paul Griffin
DOP: Brian Strange
Focus Puller: Emilo Schlappi
Camera Assistant: Leigh Nicholls
Sound Recordist: Simon Rhodes
Advertising Agency: Cogent Elliott, Birmingham, UK
Creative Director: Richard Payne
Art Directors: Craig Wood, Sam Armistead
Copywriter: Craig Wood
Animators: Simon Cox, Karl Randay
