We connect Motorola XOOM™ to Telstra for DDB, Sydney.
Engine joined the battle of the mobile tablet when it created the latest Telstra ad for DDB Sydney promoting the Motorola Xoom™ device on the Telstra mobile network.
As ever with Engine ads there was a twist, or two. Creative Director Simon Robson explained, “The creatives at DDB wanted us to show the Telstra Motorola Xoom™ in a variety of different locations, emphasising the reach of the Telstra mobile network. It occurred to me that instead of just cutting from one location to the next, finding engaging ways of transitioning between locations could highlight the way the Xoom™ allows people to connect in many locations and ways with Telstra.”
With time of the essence to the impending launch of the campaign, Robson and designer Josh Edwards presented agency DDB Sydney with a set of ideas based around the script’s core messages – connectivity in different locations and at different times on Australia’s most reliable mobile network.
The original script had cuts between locations. Robson, however, was determined to add dynamism and engagement to his transitions. Robson added, “DDB liked our ideas and the client got them first time, so we were off and running. The main thread is that there are always a pair of hands on the Motorola Xoom™ tablet using a different rich media application each time. I designed a board where the tablet is seamlessly passed from one person to the next from scene to scene. The ad starts in a bus, moves through a bedroom to the back of a family car and finally arrives at a parkside café – all in 30 seconds, all in-camera with an apparent one-shot feel.”
Robson and his team put particular emphasis on the scene transitions and paid close attention to detail for each environment within the commercial. The Engine team along with their production designers re-created a teenager’s bedroom complete with bespoke music posters, meticulously re-built the interior of an
Australian bus, hacked up a car and built rigs so the sections could gracefully spin together in camera, resolving to a sliding exterior café. Engine Producer on the shoot, Amelia Peacocke added, “This is a wonderfully technical and clever spot to watch but a logistical headache, especially for our production designers Karen Harborow and Tony Campbell. We had to make sure the transitions appeared as real as possible whilst not detracting from the core message behind the ad, the tablet and the Telstra mobile network.”
As the café deck slides into shot in the final scene the tablet demonstrates the Google Talk application between a mum and her daughter with a typical lunchtime environment in the background. Robson continued, “We wanted to fit as many different locations into the ad as possible to highlight the extent of Telstra’s coverage. There’s also a high level of continuity between scenes and transitions that engage the viewer. The passing of the tablet goes from female to male and old to young, again emphasising the social aspect of this type of technology and its mobility.”
Engine also employed the services of multi award-winning cinematographer Peter Menzies Jr. (Die Hard, Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk) who spent a week with Robson, the Engine team and a full production crew. The commercial was shot in Sydney’s Centennial Park, at Down Under Studios and in Engine’s own studio.
Engine EP Adam Wells said, “This is a great ad worked on by some excellent creatives. The agency and client have been brilliant throughout. In addition to all the live action work we have also added in a significant amount of lighting effects to help the transitions appear seamless, which is no mean feat when you consider how different each shot is. Engine also took care of all the post production in house and I’m delighted to say that our end to end approach has paid dividends once again for both Telstra and DDB Sydney.”
The Telstra television commercial for the Motorola Xoom™ began airing nationally on 31 July.
To see the TVC for the Motorola Xoom™ on the Telstra mobile network go to: http://vimeo.com/27232635
Director: Simon Robson
EP: Adam Wells
Producer: Amelia Peacocke
Visual Effects Supervisor: Scotty Wilcox
DOP: Peter Menzies Jnr ACS
Lead VFX artist: Lee Sandiford
Compositing team: Kent Smith, Soren Dyne, David Duncombe, Brendon Killen & Tim Parsons