IT'S IN OUR SPIRIT

TitleIT'S IN OUR SPIRIT
BrandABSOLUT
Product/ServiceABSOLUT VODKA
Category A08. Achievement in Production
Entrant BBH Singapore, SINGAPORE
Idea Creation BBH Singapore, SINGAPORE
Idea Creation 2 THE ABSOLUT COMPANY Stockholm, SWEDEN
Production PSYOP Los Angeles, USA
Production 2 STINK STUDIOS London, UNITED KINGDOM
Post Production PSYOP Los Angeles, USA
Additional Company THE MARKETING ARM Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM
Additional Company 2 BUTTER MUSIC & SOUND Los Angeles, USA
Additional Company 3 EPISODE FILMS LTD Taipei, TAIWAN
Additional Company 4 FUSE ADVENTURES IN AUDIO Singapore, SINGAPORE
Credits
Name Company Position
Joakim (jab) Borgstrom BBH Leadership
Adam Arnold BBH Leadership
Sid Tuli BBH Singapore Leadership
Sascha Kuntze BBH Singapore Leadership
Gaston Soto BBH Singapore Creative Director
Nikhil Panjwani BBH Singapore Creative Director
Stephanie Gwee BBH Singapore Creative
Sid Lim BBH Singapore Creative
Avril Chua BBH Singapore Creative
Lynette Chua BBH Singapore Account Management
Grace Lee BBH Singapore Account Management
Lilli English BBH Strategy
Faraaz Marghoob BBH Singapore Strategy
Wendi Chong BBH Singapore Production
Charl Bassil The Absolut Company Client
Tad Greenough The Absolut Company Client
Sina Neubrandt The Absolut Company Client
Filip Kiisk The Absolut Company Client
Ylva Lundberg The Absolut Company Client
Oscar Danielsson The Absolut Company Client
Todd Mueller Psyop Production
Kylie Matulick Psyop Production
Justin Booth-Clibborn Psyop Production
Joe Maggiore Psyop Production

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

2020 was the year of living virtually. In Europe and the US, virtual life looks like it will continue well into 2021. Absolut’s new global campaign looks excitedly into the future when real human connections replace online and being #togetherIRL is safe again. This is the story of four protagonists (Actor Tessa Thompson, Musician MNEK, Pro Gamer Ricki Oritz and Influencer Jolin Tsai). But in a year like 2020, it could be anyone's story. Each of them are masters of their own virtual worlds but are looking for something more meaningful outside. So they decide to break out from virtuality for a moment of togetherness #IRL. Because no matter how many followers or hearts you collect, nothing can make up for real-life togetherness.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Absolut believes in a more open and connected world. And yet, young people - who are more connected virtually than ever before - were reporting record levels of loneliness - even before the impact of the Covid pandemic. Data has revealed that hyper-connected Gen Z are the loneliest generation ever, with 80% reporting feeling lonely in 2019. This corresponded to a drop in the frequency of teens meeting up with each other daily - from 50% in 1990 to less than 30% now. So Absolut sought to inspire the loneliest generation to look forward to coming out and connecting meaningfully in person, the moment Covid restrictions are lifted. Working with 4 influencers from diverse backgrounds and geographies, we created a visceral call-to-action, encouraging GenZ to break out of their lockdown screen obsessions and take a breath, a whiff, a step into reality and appreciate a real moment of togetherness #IRL.

Tell the jury about the innovation and advancements used during production. You may wish to comment on the inventive use of new or existing technology to enhance the final execution.

While all productions undertaken during the pandemic faced practical challenges, ours was a bit more colossal due to the involvement of 4 influencers from around the world. The idea (step out of virtuality to experience a moment together IRL) meant 70-80% of our film would be in CGI worlds that best represent each protagonist. But the final scene when they all come together had to be live action. But how do you make it feel real when Tessa and Ricki are stuck in the US, MNEK in the UK and Jolin in Taiwan? We shot the main scene in LA and used a combination of green screens, masking, and doubles to recreate the finale. We also had a dramatic transition moment where all the characters break through virtuality and enter the real world. This was achieved with a Scorpion camera where the actors jumped through candy glass at 500 FPS.