The Brief:
A 3 car convoy with a brand new Vauxhall Astra, Mokka, Crossland
Using the rising of a new day as a visual metaphor to describe the Vauxhall range as “next generation”, we created a cinematic film showing the three vehicles as they emerged from the darkness before dawn and drove until the fading light of sunset.
Opportunity 1
Deliver a full pitch deck within 24 hours with a tier package of deliverables and cost.
Sometimes working under pressure can be counterproductive when pitching for new work.
Especially when the stakes seem high with a new client and the demand for a quick turnaround creative deck is the first ask. This is where the work began for us and in this circumstance it’s where we thrived because we didn’t have the time to ponder and nit pick and had to approach the campaign pitch instinctively. What excites us about a car commercial? What would we want to create if we were making a car commercial? Who are Vauxhalls target audience?
Opportunity 2
Our first car commercial.
Always a frightening prospect but we’d done our homework, meticulously planned our route through the lake district during a recce - taking in a variety of scenery that would compliment each car.
Opportunity 3
The location itself.
We chose an area in Keswick as our base unit with a 10 mile loop up and over a mountain as our shooting area.
We had to accommodate woodland for the ASTRA, a lake for the GRANDLAND and a mountain for the MOKKA and we figured out a perfect route that hit the spot for all the cars.
We chose a base unit as a location for filming the car interiors and exteriors which had a beautiful stone bridge and peaceful river running underneath.
In the Lake District, every single place you visit has the opportunity to be cinematic.
Seemingly this view was shared by Hollywood as part way through our shoot, helicopters flew overhead and then we heard from a local that Tom Cruise was shooting Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning in the same area. Thankfully, he didn’t get in the way of our shoot!
And even more fortunately, he didn't get to see what Jamie was wearing on his feet for one of the shoot days. Or unfortunately...
Opportunity 4
Shooting a car commercial from the sky. Written by our drone operator 'Luke Gale'
The creative potential drones bring to the automotive video industry is huge, especially in locations like the Lake District (and particularly when the weather is so changeable). Realising the creative potential of the location and the subject whilst recognising the need to operate drones safely was paramount, especially with FPV drones (which are typically flown at speed and in close proximity to subjects). We worked closely with ODD and the client to plan each location and sequence of the aerial part of the shoot…but as with all creative fields, not every aspect can be planned to the n’th degree. Framing of shots can change once reviewed, the weather can change, and things out of your control can change things too, which is why the importance of being able to work dynamically, without time pressure and with clear communication lines is so important. ODD was crucial in facilitating this and allowing us to be dynamic with the filming and capture sequences that could Only be realised ‘whilst doing it’. Working with production companies like ODD is a great example as to how to maximise the time you have with the cars, the pro drivers, valeters and other key stakeholders such as the national trust.
All in all, we had a fantastic experience working with Vauxhall & 33seconds on this campaign and got to create our first commercial with a great bunch of people.
Producer Louis
Director Jamie
Photographer Rick
Cam op James
FPV Pilot Luke (Couldn't find a photo of him on shoot so AI stepped in with a questionable attempt at placing him in the lake district)
The Vauxhall x 33seconds x ODD team
