"In Quebec, we rarely see ads that are both visually and technically ambitious. You need teams and an organization that want to get out of their comfort zone," enthuses world-renowned director Ivan Grbovic.
Grbovic recently led filming sessions involving 60 people, including artists from Quebec's The 7 Fingers circus collective. The goal: To produce a bold advertisement that would capture the attention of young people ages 15 to 30. Centred around the idea of bouncing back, this piece reminds us that Desjardins is there to support young people as they face challenges at school.
Take a look behind the scenes and see some of the technical challenges and feats that took place while building this one-of-a-kind classroom, including securing desks to a wall at 90° and 10 m high, holding actors with harnesses, and having an artist jump on a painting that turns into a trampoline.
But to the unknowing eye, this ad is just magic!
"It's important not to think about the technical aspect when you're shooting. Just like in a feature film, success depends on your ability to deliver the message without the technical challenges being visible on screen," says Ivan Grbovic. And he can certainly say mission accomplished!
Working as a team to capture the viewer's imagination
For a project like this to succeed, you need boldness, rigour, perseverance and, above all, next-level collaboration.
The initiative is a shining example of a solid relationship between the client, the director and the agency Bleublancrouge, who dreamed up the whole idea. "When you receive a script for an ad, it's already been worked on by the agency and their client for many months. My job is to ask the right questions so I can understand the concept better and fully embrace it to bring their vision to life," explains Ivan Grbovic.
The director insists that an ad must go beyond words and numbers to find visual metaphors that express ideas.
Together For Our Youth
This recent ad campaign is part of Together For Our Youth's outreach program, which provides resources under 4 pillars: education, employment and entrepreneurship, health and healthy lifestyles, and community involvement. This program provides $50 million a year to help thousands of young people fulfill their ambitions.