Lynx: My Angel Girlfriend

 “A meteor shower of gorgeous women crashing down and parading through the streets causing trouble” is how Frank Todaro remembers February’s Even Angels Will Fall commercial for Lynx Excite, and he’s pretty much spot on. But when BBH creative team, David Kolbusz and Dominic Goldman, were relaying their ideas for the next instalment of the heavenly campaign, they made it clear that it wouldn’t necessarily be a strict sequel, and before he knew it, the Moxie Pictures director was in Prague shooting a first-ever global follow up for the brand.

“This was supposed to be later on, presumably when angel-human relationships have taken hold and we’re now getting a glimpse into some of the little conflict moments,” he explains. “That was the fun part for me.  Exploring what happens once these people get past their physical attraction and settle into longer term relationships.”

The film, which launches today, follows one angel-human couple in particular as they go about their day-to-day life together. Creative director, Kolbusz, explains: “We wanted to make an ad that built on the success of the first campaign but was unique in its own right. There seemed to be something interesting about telling a love story between a mortal and an ethereal being.”

This time around, though, the angelic figure would appear to be a lot less graceful than first thought, and the subsequent events show that everyday situations are proving to be somewhat of a challenge.

My Angel Girlfriend sees the couple enjoying a romantic picnic and a romantic candle-lit meal, but on each occasion there’s a new obstacle to overcome. Even something as simple as sharing a car proves to ruffle their feathers. “It’s subtle stuff that was great fun to explore,” says Todaro. “And I guess in that respect (and because there was lots of physical comedy built in), I felt freed a bit from the first spot.”

The slapstick side is triggered when the emotions of the innocent heroine are touched, causing her wings to shoot aloft, affecting the unsuspecting surroundings and her partner: “The scene in the square where the angel’s wings snap open and catch our guy under the chin was fairly straightforward. We determined where the wing would be and knew exactly how long we’d be on each shot,” says the director.

The fact that all the research and development for how the wings should look was done by a team at The Mill last time around made the vision a lot clearer and the interaction aspect has progressed the story with a comedic element. “It wasn’t winged goddesses on the prowl, but what we did want to continue was the beautiful film and the Angel’s languid elegance. That, contrasted with the sight gags, frankly makes it all funnier.”

Despite admitting that it was a pleasure to return to shoot a job in prague, the acclaimed director, Todaro, reveals that the set up wasn’t completely angelic:

“The worst was when a street cleaner with a large vacuum pack strapped to his back walked down the street hoovering up pile after pile of dried dog shit. The entire neighborhood smelt like a sewer explosion since he was basically atomizing the turds and sending them back into the air. My poor producer was pregnant and I thought she was going to projectile vomit.”

It’ll be interesting to see if the smell puts them off sticking around for a third instalment.