Title | PRUNELAX BURIED |
Brand | PRUNELAX |
Product / Service | PRUNELAX |
Category | A01. Direction |
Entrant | VANDAL Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
Idea Creation | FIVE BY FIVE GLOBAL Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
Media Placement | FIVE BY FIVE GLOBAL Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
PR | FIVE BY FIVE GLOBAL Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
Production | VANDAL Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
Post Production | VANDAL Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
Name | Company | Position |
---|---|---|
Armand De Saint-Salvy | Helium Film | Director & Editor |
Jordan Maddocks | Helium | Director of Photography |
Brenden Johnson | Vandal | Executive Producer |
Ben O'Donnell | Vandal | Producer |
Marcus Timpson | Vandal | Colour Grade |
Phil Stuart Jones | Vandal | Compositor |
Nigel Crowley | Vandal | Sound Design |
In the wake of the pandemic, Australia has been in a state of apathy - a rarity for a country known for its unwavering, irreverent sense of humour. In this dark time, Australians sought out whatever relief they could find; like alcohol and more streaming services. So with Australians seeking the potent & cleansing power of relief - we brought the feeling to them. With people in a dissociated mindset, we couldn’t make your typical sanitised pharma-ad. We needed to entertain, to break through the apathy in a way that reminded Australians of their audacious, unapologetic roots. Using bold cinematic techniques, ‘Buried’ draws you in with intrigue & tension, priming viewers to seek out the climax; laddering up to a sketch comedy twist that lampoons the feeling of relief. In that moment that our message lands - because no matter how relieved you are, Prunelax does it better.
In Australia, pharma-communications are extremely regulated. The pharma-advertising made in Australia is notably conservative, clean, safe, and highly-sanitised. As time has passed, pharma communications work has become uncannily homogenised. As a result, almost all Australian pharma campaigns are boring and forgettable. With our client Actor Pharma, we saw an opportunity to bring some cinema into the category - and rewrite the rulebook for the sector.
The directorial approach was to create engaging and intriguing spots that didn't feel like ads, but rather they were to appear like clips from a new top streaming series. For Buried, we wanted to a "scando-noir" vibe, with an authentic Australian touch. By creating mystique and intrigue with cinematic lensing and restrained performances, we lure the audience in before pulling the rug out from underneath them and shocking them that they have in fact been watching a laxative commercial.