Death is still a difficult subject in western culture. People don’t talk about dying, don’t talk about their funeral wishes. Co-op Funeralcare’s Making Peace with Death study showed that although 66% of people have thought about their funeral wishes, only 7% feel comfortable talking about it. This makes the arranging of funerals particularly stressful for their loved ones who don’t know what they would have wanted.

So Co-op Funeralcare and Lucky Generals have unveiled a new advertising campaign that encourages the UK to talk about their funeral wishes. The hero commercial shows how easy that can be. A window cleaner in Manchester wants “one big party”, a hiker with a hearing disability signs that she wants her poem to be read – the commercial cuts between groups of people from all around the country talking easily about what they would like their funeral to be, normalising the conversation and adding occasional sparks of humour that make it less intimidating.

The commercial, directed by Charlotte Regan at Knucklehead, was filmed on location up and down the country in areas such as Cardiff, Port Talbot, London, Manchester, and Keswick in the Lake District with street casting finding people across the UK. Lucky Generals worked with The Diversity Standards Collective to ensure that the cast was representative of and authentic to minority communities across the UK.

The TV launched on September 6, with cinema, social, in branch and digital advertising.

Mandip Mann, head of marketing and client experience at Co-op Funeralcare, commented, “As the UK’s leading funeral provider, we’re encouraging the nation to talk about their wishes with their loved ones, making it clear what they would want for themselves when the time comes. We hope this campaign will help viewers start what can often be a daunting conversation with those around them.

“The campaign created by Lucky Generals is a first of its kind for us, as we’re aiming to remove the stigma surrounding death, encourage open conversations and elevate the importance of funerals reflecting the personal funeral preferences of the deceased.”

Danny Hunt, creative director at Lucky Generals, added, “Sadly, anyone who has been through bereavement will know the stress of not knowing a loved one’s final wishes adding to what is an already horrible time. So, working with Co-op Funeralcare, we’re looking to break the stigma and encourage people to have a conversation. Because talking now will help their loved ones later.”

Credits:

Client: Co-op Funeralcare
Client Team: Mandip Mann, Alison Keane, Eve Roberts, Kate Gilmore

Creative Agency: Lucky Generals 
Media agency: Dentsu

Production Company: Knucklehead
Director: Charlotte Regan
Production Company Producer: Alan Traquair
DOP: Jack Wilkinson
1st AD: Tom Wilkinson
Production Manager: Janine Carter
Production Assistant: Louise Flood
Art Director: Jade Rache
Casting: Anna McAuley @ Anna McAuley Casting

Editing: TenThree
Editor: Owen O’Sullivan 
Producer: Clel Allen

Post-Production: Selected Works
Post Producer: Libby Ghandi

Grade: Time Based Arts
Colourist: Simone Grattarola 

Sound: No8
Sound Engineer: Sam Robson 
Executive Producer: Francis Mildmay-White