Hasta La Ideas

Samsung has just invested not in one, but in two impressively epic, stunt and VFX-heavy TV spots created by London agency CHI & Partners with no small amount of input from MPC…

One might question the relevance of hugely expensive, stunt and effects-driven TV spots in a YouTube age (not to mention a global recession), but seeing as Samsung manufactures precisely the kind of enormous flat screen TV’s that showcase epic action scenes perfectly, this approach actually makes perfect sense.

And the reason two ads have been commissioned is because Samsung want to advertise slightly different features of its new range of Smart TVs to two different markets.

The first ad, Charge (stills shown above), is designed to demonstrate the new Smart recommendation technology that takes into account the kind of programmes you like and recommends things to watch that you might like.

Romain Gavras directed an enormous cast of costumed characters who charge along an otherwise deserted beach – the idea being that the Roman centurions, cheerleaders, police cars, American football players, and even a whip-toting, chariot-riding Minotaur in the ad all represent different types of TV content you might be recommended through your Smart TV.

Charge credits:

Creative agency CHI & Partners
Creative director Jonathan Burley, Rick Brim
Art director Jay Phillips
Copywriter Neil Clarke
Planners Anthony Cox and Oli Egan
Agency producer Caroline Angell
Director Romain Gavras
Production company Somesuch&co
Prod co executive producer Tim Nash
DOP Benoit Debie
VFX MPC
VFX producer Ian Luxford
VFX supervisor Rob Walker
Grade Aline Sinquin
Audio post production Sam Ashwell @ 750mph
Editor Jono Griffith @ Hagon

The second ad, King of TV City, has a somewhat smaller cast (of just one) but a much larger wodge of spectactular VFX created by MPC. Directed by Stink‘s Adam Berg, the spot is set in a deserted cityscape where one man encounters an array of TV content, from stampeding wildebeest to a rampaging Tyrannosaur and a squadron of alien invaders. Just as a huge fireball is about to engulf our hero, he says “pause” and it emerges he’s watching the action on his impressively large Samsung tellybox, controlling the action using hand movements and his voice too.

King of TV City credits:

Creative agency CHI & Partners
Executive creative director Jonathan Burley
Art director Alexei Berwitz
Copywriter Rob Webster
Agency producer Alex Nicholson
Director Adam Berg
Production company Stink
Prod co exec producer Blake Powell
Prod co producer Ben Croker
DOP Mattias Montero
VFX MPC
VFX producer Chris Allen
VFX supervisor Franck Lambertz
Grade Mark Gethin
Audio post production Jungle Studios
Editor Paul Hardcastle (Trim)

I can’t deny that these ads feed my desire to get a new, bigger, more epic TV. But I also can’t help but remain sceptical about the idea of controlling such a device with hand movements and voice control. I’d imagine that in the majority of households where families move around and, you know, talk to each other (regardless of whether or not there’s a film on) this just won’t work, will it?

Tell you what though – if you were going to bring Minority Report to the stage as a theatre production, it might be handy to have one or two of these hand-movement and voice-controlled TVs to use as props.

The April print issue of CR presents the work of three young animators and animation teams to watch. Plus, we go in search of illustrator John Hanna, test out the claims of a new app to have uncovered the secrets of viral ad success and see how visual communications can both help keep us safe and help us recover in hospital

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