THE EARLY END

Short List
TitleTHE EARLY END
BrandSECTOR ALARM
Product/ServiceSECTOR ALARM
Category E01. Use of Film
Entrant ÅKESTAM HOLST Stockholm, SWEDEN
Idea Creation ÅKESTAM HOLST Stockholm, SWEDEN
Media Placement ZENITH Stockholm, SWEDEN
Production ÅKESTAM HOLST Stockholm, SWEDEN
Credits
Name Company Position
Hugo Wallmo Åkestam Holst NoA Art Director
Petter Nylind Åkestam Holst NoA Copywriter
Jesper Ander Åkestam Holst NoA Account Director
Leila Widgren Åkestam Holst NoA Agency Producer
Henrik Sjödin Åkestam Holst NoA Planner
Albin Muji Åkestam Holst NoA Production Manager
Kenna Magnusson Åkestam Holst NoA Motion Designer

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

When Swedish tv-channel TV3 aired Home Alone on December 20th and 24th, this happened: Right after Macaulay Culkin's character Kevin McCallister wakes up and finds himself left alone in the big house, the first commercial break took place. Here we had bought the first spot, and this was the ad we showed: End credits start rolling. In both style, typography and music they looks and sound very much like the end credits of Home Alone. But after about 15 seconds of rolling credits, a message pops up saying: With a connected home alarm. The film would have ended here. Followed by the Sector Alarm logo, and now the music hits a crescendo, and the line: Secure your home for Christmas at sectoralarm.com The music ends in a majestic and very filmish way, as the logo and text fade to black.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

In Sweden, watching Home Alone on tv during the Holidays is just as much a tradition as dancing around the Christmas tree. But the classic film is getting old. If it was a story of today, many things would probably turn out differently for Kevin and his family. Sector Alarm is Sweden’s second largest home alarm company, offering their customers connected state of the art home alarm solutions. With a budget of barely €6000 put on a 30 second TVC and some creative media spend, we moved the Home Alone story into a modern context, turning the Christmas classic in to a short film.

Explain how the work innovatively used the film medium.

We made a film that ended another. By making an ad that looked like the end credits of Home Alone, and placing it as the first spot in the first commercial break, we created the illusion that the film ended after barely 20 minutes. This early end was precisely timed with the scene when Kevin steps down from the attic where he slept, and discovers that he is home alone – right when a connected home alarm could easily have averted the miss, and have everyone in the McAllister family enjoy a peaceful Christmas in Paris together.