An exquisitely subtle joke about Starship’s 1985 hit, We Built This City, in The Hallway’s new commercial for Nova Entertainment’s Smooth FM, targets the radio station’s loyal listeners, and might even pique the curiosity of younger audiences. The 30-second spot, featuring a UFO with a distinct liking for the song, heads a campaign that shows audiences that the music on Smooth FM is so unifying, not only does it transcend generations, genders, and borders – it transcends galaxies.
The hero film was directed by Paul Middleditch at Plaza Content. He stated, “What an amazing project to lend my skills to as a dramatic and comic director. A wonderful script that demands cinematic expanse with a touch of craziness at the end of your driveway. That Starship track will never be the same. Loved it. So brave and great.”
Adam Johnson, NOVA Entertainment’s chief growth officer, added, “Together In Music says everything about the unifying power of the kind of music Smooth FM plays all day long, so it’s amazing to see this new positioning brought to life so powerfully by this campaign. Whilst ads from radio brands tend to follow a certain formula, we wanted this to be an ad like no other and I’m delighted with what the team have delivered.”
Dan Saunders, creative director at The Hallway, commented, “Adam challenged us to break the usual radio advertising formula and we were happy to oblige. It’s been a great collaboration and we’ve already proven that “Together in Music” is a brand platform with intergalactic potential. The exciting question now is where shall we take it next?”
The Together in Music commercial will be screened nationally across TV, cinema and digital. The campaign will be accompanied by comprehensive OOH activity, You. Me. Together in Music, that features a series of key artist names accompanied by lifestyle images reflective of Smooth FM’s broad audience base who are united by the music.
Credits:
Creative Agency: The Hallway
Production Company: Plaza Content
Director: Paul Middleditch
Executive Producer: Peter Masterton
Producer: Mel Weinman
Cinematographer: Daniel Ardilley
Post Production: The Editors
Post Producer: Adrian Konarski
Editor: Stu Morley
Colourist: Ben Eagleton
Online: Matt Edwards
UFO: Fanatic Films
VFX Supervisor: Russell Masters
Sound: Massive Music
Sound Producer: Luci Roe
Sound Engineer: Myles Lowe
