A little girl called George introduces her family to New Zealand – from her point of view. George’s point of view is captured by Sweetshop’s Mark Albiston, a master of creating both endearing characters and the kind of family humour that gives you a warm hug.
The result is a hugely relatable little film about energy saving. Yes, energy saving. The commercial by agency, Bastion Shine, presents energy provider, Genesis’, usage breakdown facility.
Stephanie Fahey, head of brand at Genesis, explained, “In a traditionally low-interest category we’re setting out to engage with New Zealanders around their energy usage in meaningful ways. Genesis is leading our industry with digital tools and innovation, designed with our customers so they’re empowered to make better choices around energy and what’s right for their family, business, and the planet. We’re thrilled with the work and can’t wait to share it with New Zealand.”
Rich Maddocks, Bastion Shine chief creative officer, added, “We’re excited about not only seeing the world through the eyes of a child but creating a family of characters each with their own unique personality and traits, just like you’ll find in any family dynamic. By focusing on these little moments of everydayness, we show how Genesis understands New Zealanders and plays a useful role in their lives.”
Mark Albiston’s forté, drawing out authentic performances from his cast, underpins both the commercial’s relatability and its humour. He commented, “The humour in this world really spoke to me. I love the way we see the home through young kids’ eyes and their eccentric perspectives on the world. And that they’ve imagined that ‘Somebody’ is a real person. It’s the way young minds work.”
Justine Fairlie, general manager, brand and marketing at Genesis, added, “Our business is all about empowering New Zealand’s sustainable future, and we have a significant number of initiatives, both large and small, in place to deliver on that purpose. This new creative platform provides us with a great vehicle to deliver those initiatives to New Zealanders.”
Credits
Client: Genesis Energy NZ Ltd
GM Brand and Marketing: Justine Fairlie
Head of Brand: Stephanie Fahey
Brand and Social Media Manager: Kimberley Burgess
Senior Brand Manager: Russell Long
Junior Brand Manager: Jess Burns
Agency: Bastion Shine
Chief Creative Officer: Richard Maddocks
Integrated Creative Director: Ben Barnes
Creatives: Social & OOH: Clementina de Ruiter & Phoebe Chetwynd-Talbot
Content Producer: Pip Mayne
Group Business Directors: Henry Smith & Toby Sellers
Business Director: Marcelle Best
Head of Strategy: Andy McLeish
Head of Design: Danny Carlsen
Designers: Hannah Christensen & Tim Wightman
Artworker: Kuljit Kaur
Production Company: Sweetshop
Director: Mark Albiston
Executive Producer: Kate Roydhouse
Executive Producer: Ben Dailey
Casting: Catch Casting
DOP: Gin Loane
Production Designer: Neville Stevenson
Editor: Luke Haigh
Colourist: Matic Prusnik
Online: Stu Bedford
Final Master Outputs & Graphics: Toybox
Music Negotiator: Marcus Brooke-Smith @ Level Two Music
Song: Thurston Harris, Little Bitty Pretty One
Composer & Sound Designer: Cam Ballantyne @ Beat Worms
Stills Photography: Match Artists
Photographer: Troy Goodall
Executive Producer: Gerardine Turney
Retoucher: Carl Baker
Media: PHD
GM Planning: James Davidson
Group Business Director: Angela Forward
Digital Director: Mireille Cope
Business Director: Lee Underwood
Senior Digital Planner: Nidhi Raniga
Junior Campaign manager: Emma Mills
Media Executive: Harry Kirenga
