| Title | SHADOW POSTERS |
| Brand | MICROSOFT |
| Product/Service | SURFACE PRO 6 MATTE BLACK |
| Category |
B01. Posters |
|
Entrant
|
McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Idea Creation
|
McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Production
|
McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Credits
| Rob Doubal |
McCann London |
Co-President and Chief Creative Officer |
| Laurence Thomson |
McCann London |
Co-President and Chief Creative Officer |
| Sanjiv Mistry |
McCann London |
Executive Creative Director |
| Jamie Mietz |
McCann London |
Executive Creative Director |
| Jacob Björdal |
McCann London |
Art Director |
| Jim Nilsson |
McCann London |
Copywriter |
| Sergio Lopez |
Craft/McCann |
Chief Production Officer EMEA |
| Sophie Chapman-Andrews |
Craft/McCann |
Executive Producer |
| Daniel Källberg |
Craft/McCann |
Producer |
| Tom Adamson |
McCann London |
Business Director |
| Nicole Spaude |
McCann London |
Senior Account Director |
| Rohin Lalli |
McCann London |
Senior Account Manager |
| Robert Stockton |
McCann London |
Senior Account Manager |
| Sophie Grierson |
McCann London |
Account Manager |
| Clare Prager |
McCann London |
Project Director |
| Anna Curtis |
McCann London |
Project Manager |
| Matthew Thomas |
McCann London |
Designer |
| Angelika Juszczyk |
McCann London |
Creative Artworker |
| Joshua Smith |
McCann London |
Junior Designer |
| Ellis Faint |
Craft/McCann |
Post-production |
| Adele Hodges |
Craft/McCann |
Post-production |
| Paul Jenkinson, Stefano Scalise and Paul Fitzpatrick |
Craft/McCann |
Post-production |
| John Martin |
Craft/McCann |
Post-production |
| Jeremy Reichman |
Craft/McCann |
Post-production |
| Harvey Winter |
Craft/McCann |
Post-production |
| Ben McIlveen |
Craft/McCann |
Post-production |
| Giselle Hall |
Craft/McCann |
Post-production |
| Ben Twiston-Davies |
Craft/McCann |
Self-shooting Director |
| Brian Hill |
Freelance |
Photographer |
Background
Microsoft were launching a new device – the first-ever black Surface Pro. The colour had been carefully chosen to be as muted and discreet as possible, in order to help the user get into their flow. How do you advertise a product that has been designed to not be noticed?
Describe the creative idea
To launch the new device, we created a series of posters that were designed to disappear – just like the product they were promoting. As opposed to traditional bright and flashy posters, these posters existed only as shadows.
At a time when other tech brands’ ads just show off their product, the bold design of these ads brought to life the experience – the sense of flow – that users have when working on the Surface Pro 6.
The Surface Pro 6 was a product aimed at the creative professional. Therefore, the Shadow Posters appeared in the trendy, creative London neighbourhoods of Shoreditch and Peckham.
Describe the execution
The Shadow Posters’ layout followed the conventions and format of ordinary outdoor ads. Yet, by creating them out of shadows, this became a reinvention of the poster format.
Instead of fully revealing the product, these posters were designed to convey an experience of flow – the sense that everything disappears into the background and you only focus on what’s on the screen.
By using shadows as a medium, the posters could appear across a range of surfaces. Every surface essentially became a new artwork – from traditional brick walls to interesting street art murals.
List the results
• ‘9.38M total impressions on social media’
• ‘51% of Surface Pro 6 sales were in matte black (2 x the projection)’