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2014 · Creative / Copywriter · adam&eveDDB London
Volkswagen's long-running "See Film Differently" cinema sponsorship had a legendary legacy to live up to, so we decided to tackle a universal truth every moviegoer knows: the absolute, teeth-gritting awkwardness of pre-movie small talk. Whether you're on a tragic first date or trapped next to a coworker, those minutes before the lights go down are a minefield. To dial that cringe up to an eleven, we hit upon a brilliant meta-premise: what if an over-the-top, blockbuster action movie director gave you real-time commentary on your agonizingly mundane real life?
We brought in Hollywood heavyweight Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil, Alien vs. Predator) to direct the spots and play himself. In the films, as everyday people endure staggeringly awkward conversations in the theater seats, Anderson bursts onto the screen in full director mode — abruptly cutting the action, critiquing their terrible dialogue, and demanding more tension, explosions, or dramatic pacing out of a couple debating whether to buy salted or sweet popcorn.
The punchline beautifully tied back to VW's technology, letting the audience know that while real-world moments can be painfully difficult to watch, at least Volkswagen's advanced tech keeps your driving experience completely effortless.
Recognition — Epica Awards: Gold. Clio Awards: Bronze (Film). Eurobest: Bronze. Campaign BIG Awards: Shortlisted (Automotive).
Automotive · Cinema · Film
Volkswagen's "See Film Differently" cinema sponsorship had a long and well-loved legacy, so each new set of spots had to be genuinely entertaining before the lights went down rather than merely tolerated. Toby Brewer wrote the work as a Creative / Copywriter at adam&eveDDB London with Nikki Lindman, under ECD Jeremy Craigen.
Every moviegoer knows the specific agony of the minutes before a film starts. Whether you are on a bad first date or trapped beside a colleague, pre-movie small talk is a minefield. That everyday cringe became the raw material, dialled up by a meta premise: what if a blockbuster action director gave live directorial notes on your painfully mundane real life?
Hollywood director Paul W.S. Anderson, of Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator, directed the spots through Mob Films and played himself in them. As ordinary people endure excruciating conversations in the cinema seats, Anderson cuts the action, critiques the dialogue and demands more tension from a couple debating salted versus sweet popcorn. The punchline hands the argument back to the product: real-world moments can be hard to watch, but Volkswagen's technology makes the drive effortless. The campaign won Gold at the Epica Awards, Bronze for Film at the Clio Awards and Bronze at Eurobest, and was shortlisted in automotive at the Campaign BIG Awards.
KATE LANGLEY-JONES