Midea Colmo’s new air conditioner, Colmo AirNEXT, has mix-and-match air filters that can cool, clean, humidify the air, or can even eliminate foul smells in the room. In the hands of Shanghai agency, F5, it has become their conditioner that evolves. To go with this strategy, the agency has created a two-minute epic in which Charles Darwin introduces the air conditioner as part of his discoveries.
It’s a crazy mix-up of past and present science, fact and fiction, humour and product demo, that is far more interesting than its peers and is very unlikely to get lost in the crowd
“F5 Shanghai has helped us create a clear and memorable campaign for Colmo AirNEXT. The agency’s approach to film making is also a benchmark in this region. The work they’ve provided for us consists of both visual and dialogue-driven storytelling, matched with unrivaled performances,” stated Hunter Hu, brand representative at Colmo.
“To make sure the film about Charles Darwin followed European aesthetics, we collaborated with a European production company. The live shoot and VFX scenes were done in Bulgaria, and supervised remotely from Shanghai,” added Adams Fan, chief creative officer at F5.
The full campaign includes the two-minute film and print advertisements.
Adams Fan, chief creative officer and Elio Liu, project lead on F5 Shanghai’s Colmo Darwin project
How did you come up with the idea of using the theory of evolution for the campaign?
Adams Fan: When we received the brief from the client, the product was still under development, but a feature that it was definitely going to have was customisable filters. Colmo was creating an innovative air-conditioner that could adapt to people’s different needs. The company would also provide continuous updates to the modules, so that users could enjoy the latest product features without having to replace the whole unit. At first, we played with the idea of showing a user’s DIY experience. But after a round of discussion, we came up with the better concept of using Darwin’s theory of evolution to convey the message of the AC’s adaptability and flexibility. We believe Darwin’s theory of evolution best represents the product’s modular and continuous upgrading capabilities.
What was the most challenging part during the whole production and how did you solve it?
Elio Liu: Working with a production team from overseas is always an extra challenge because of the different time zones and not being able to physically be in the same room, especially during the shoot. This project tested our communication and execution skills, but I think we were all able to do a great job. Another challenge for us was how to portray the process of evolution, how the mechanical creatures in the commercial were going to look, how they’d move, and how to design the shape of the evolving AC machine. All these CG elements had to be done from scratch.
We had to collect a lot of information. We looked at the structure of many creatures and subspecies, and then conceptualized sketches for each of them. Thanks to the efficient collaboration and cooperation of the team and the support of the technical department, we were able to create a great piece of work.
Were you intimidated latching onto the big IP of Darwin?
Adams Fan: When we develop campaigns for our clients, we like to combine it with the local cultural background. When we first proposed to leverage on this IP, the client was surprised and loved it, and they were very tolerant of innovation. From the very beginning of this project, we both agreed that the film was to make the brand and product famous, so using a famous historical figure would benefit us in the end. Why was Darwin chosen? Because his most famous work, about the theory of evolution, perfectly captures the product feature. Using his story will also help the brand leave its mark in markets both here in China and abroad.
How does technical thinking and creativity help in brand communication?
Adams Fan: Although the whole idea is an artistic expression with a lot of exaggerations, the whole strategy behind it is very real and data-demanding. Technology can assist creativity, and it can give us a lot of reference. I am very lucky that we have a great technology department at F5 that can provide us with tremendous support.
Credits:
Client: Colmo
Agency: F5 Shanghai
Chief Creative Officer: Adams Fan
Project Lead: Elio Liu
Business Lead: Pan Gu
Creative Group Head: Kelvin Co
English Senior Copywriter: Sarah De Joya
Art Director: Elio Liu
Chinese Copywriter: Adams Fan
