Medieval peasants would have stunk. Using them as the torture test in a deodorant ad is good strategy. But that’s not why this campaign by Someplace Nice for natural deodorant brand, Purelygreat, stands out.
The campaign is a startling example of black humour. Have you ever seen an ad that kills off its heroine and then uses her burning arm in the product shot?
Pete Henderson, Someplace Nice director, noted that it was important for an upstart brand like Purelygreat to stand out in such a crowded and competitive category. “It’s a tough market to break into, and you need strong, disruptive creative if you want to get noticed.”
The partners have, without question, achieved that.
Each of the two films in the campaign so far. are full of the sounds of squelching mud and buzzing flies, plus visuals of bad teeth, dirty faces and sloshing fluid of an indeterminate nature. They feature two peasants working in the fields and complaining about how bad they smell. They discuss the natural solutions of the day with scepticism – one they believe to be the product of witchcraft, the other the cause of madness. The spots conclude with the tagline, A natural deodorant for a world that’s finally ready for a natural deodorant.
“We can’t imagine a better torture test than the dark ages,” stated Purelygreat founder, Philip Pellat. “If we had been around back then, the world would’ve smelled different, that’s for sure.
“We’re a wholesome company at heart. We use all-natural ingredients in an effort to get people to discover the health benefits of natural deodorant and it’s all handmade here in Ontario. We’re also EWG Verified, which speaks to the quality and safety of our ingredients.” The Environmental Working Group’s seal means that products meet its standards around ingredients on its Unacceptable and Restricted lists, fully list all ingredients, including fragrance ingredients, on the label, and follow the European Union’s requirements for labelling fragrance allergens.
The spots are running on social across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, while Purelygreat is also offering free samples on its website.
Credits:
Production Company: Someplace Nice
Director: Pete Henderson
Director of Photography: Jackson Parrell
Executive Producers: Chilo Fletcher & Estelle Weir
Editing Company: Rooster Post
Editors: Chris Parkins (Witch) & Joey Whitelaw (Competitive)
Executive Producer: Melissa Kahn
Post Production, VFX & Online: Fort York VFX
Creative Director: Mike Bishop
VFX Artist: James Marin
Producer: Armen Bunag
Executive Producer: Sam McLaren
Colour: Alter Ego
Colourist: Wade Odlum
Executive Producer: Greg Edgar
Music & Audio Company: TA2 Sound + Music
Creative Director: Drew Frohmann
Composer: Oliver Wickham
Chief Engineer: Dave Clarke
Executive Producer: Dana Gadsden
