The Work 2020 Contenders: Sweetshop

With Cannes Lions postponed and LIA 2020 unfortunately cancelled, Campaign Brief is still out to recognise and showcase the great work that is being produced in the region so we are introducing The Work 2020 Contenders.

Lemon & Paeroa: Best Day Ever
DDB New Zealand
Damien Shatford, Sweetshop
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where zombies roam the streets, ‘Best Day Ever’ begins as one curious member of the walking dead comes across a can of New Zealand’s Lemon & Paeroa (L&P) soft drink. Recruiting his decomposing friend, the pair undergo a series of quirky activities, from gawking at animal-themed art to playing rugby at the beach – all to the surprising tune of Sheryl Crow’s decidedly non-apocalyptic track ‘All I Wanna Do’. Not even a group of surviving humans could dull the shine of these flesh-eating friends as their “best day ever” comes to a close.

V Energy: Procrastination Place
Clemenger BBDO
Damien Shatford, Sweetshop
When a young keyboardist is sucked into the ‘Procrastination Place’, he’s confronted by some of the internet’s most distracting avatars and memes. Fortunately, he has some liquid concentration at hand, as a can of V Energy bursts into scene to get him back on track.

Spark: Play
Colenso BBDO New Zealand
Mark Albiston, Sweetshop
This film envisages one of those tricky ‘we need to downsize our relationship’ conversations, but this time, it’s between a little boy and his gaming avatar. It sees young Toby having an awkward chat with an oversized robot character squeezed into his tiny bedroom.

Trying to soften the blow, Toby starts off praising his chum for his latest “tricky mission, restoring balance to the universe.” He then neatly segues into a chat about balance saying he and his mum have decided he needs to “play with people from his own galaxy more,” enabled by Spark’s Bluetooth smart ball, which uses custom-built techware to track minutes of active play versus screen use.

Starbucks: Every Name’s A Story
Iris Worldwide
Nicolas Jack Davies, Sweetshop
‘Every Name’s A Story’ is about the life-changing moment when transgender and gender-diverse people use their new name in public. It captures occurrences of deadnaming – when someone, intentionally or not, refers to a transgender person by the name they used before they transitioned.

It follows James, who faces challenges as he transitions and people continue to call him by his birth name, Jemma. The story culminates when he goes into a Starbucks store and orders a coffee, using his true name in public for the first time. When the barista calls out “James”, which is written on his coffee cup, it is a moment of acceptance and recognition.

NZTA: Distractions
Clemenger BBDO
Jakob Marky, Sweetshop
Starting with the morning wake-up call, we see a series of scenarios that reflect all the different ways in which mobile phones have become interwoven with our lives. Friendly hang-outs become more like mutual internet sessions, working days are interrupted, physical relationships are in tatters. There’s an endless stream of dings, likes, tags, memes, messages and emails through the screen.

We then see the main protagonist switch off her phone and drive serenely off in utter quiet, so instead of the car inconveniencing this character’s connectedness, it offers a sweet escape from their phone.

DB Export 0.0%: That’s Why
Colenso BBDO
Damien Shatford, Sweetshop
The film kicks off with an everyday scene of leisure and recreation in a city fringe park. We meet our hero who is drinking a DB Export Gold 0.0% beer. “Why are we drinking these?”, his friend asks.

The music kicks in as other DB Export 0.0% are introduced into the mix. It’s as if the music was a clarion call for the 0.0%-er sleeper agents to awaken.

They syncronise. Their different outfits morph mid-walk into ones of a matching colour palette. We see them all working together to create cool kaleidoscopic patterns from above and all of a sudden we have a choreographed movement that hinges around sobriety. We arrive at the main event: the human pyramid.

With the pyramid formed, they pass up a bottle of 0.0% to the hero who expertly balances on his fingertip. “That’s why”, our hero says.

Uber Eats: Tonight I’ll be eating…
Special Group Australia
Nick Kelly, Sweetshop
Legendary Aussie character Sharon Strzelecki and global superstar Kim Kardashian West are the latest icons to front the Uber Eats ‘Tonight, I’ll be eating’ campaign via Special Group Australia. The newest installment of the long-running platform sees Sharon share her friendship with Kim, ordering Uber Eats together after netball training.

VW: Youngest Brother
DDB New Zealand
Liz Murphy, Sweetshop
In an emotive return to brand advertising after a five-year hiatus, Youngest Brother shows that the Volkswagen brand is truly more than just a car.The spot tells the story of the youngest sibling through the lens of two brothers. Years of loving mistreatment and being on the raw end of second-hand gifts finally pays off when the family Volkswagen is handed from one brother to the next. Youngest Brother takes the timeless ritual of family hand-me-downs to show that a Volkswagen is the ultimate gift that keeps on giving.

 

The entry deadline for Campaign Brief’s The Work 2020 is April 30th. Entries are FREE with only an acceptance fee charged for those that make the cut. See full details and enter here… If your agency would like to showcase your best work in our Contenders series email ricki@campaignbrief.com.