101's Simon Schmitt on Working to a Plan

Earlier this week pension company Scottish Widows released a new caign which features a host of real people revealing their passions and life plans, people who have "a clear hoizon, and nothing to worry about".

Comprising a main TVC [above] and a further eight vignettes of real people - from a baker to a dance teacher - talking about their passions and how having a plan helps them achieve it, the caign is a beautifully shot [by Wanda's Leila & Damien de Blinkk] and touching one.

Simon Schmitt [below], creative director at 101 London, the agency behind the work, discusses the cign, why the real-life approach was chosen and how, in advertising, planning isn't always key.

Why did you decide to cast real people as part of the caign?

We decided to cast real people because we wanted to create something honest and truthful. It was important for us, and for the brand, to approach real people who have a life plan or a dream and feel good/better because of it.

Real life, everyday situations, played out naturally; people who feel just a bit better, a bit more upbeat and light hearted because of their plans, and capture these subtle observations of positive emotions on camera.

And how did you select them and their stories?

[Directing team] Damien and Leila's casting directors did a fantastic job finding people with 'life plans and dreams'. We had so many interesting stories in the end; it was tough to narrow it down to the final selection. 

Why was the directing team right for the job?

From when we pitched the idea to Scottish Widows we knew, if we won, we wanted to work with Damien & Leila Le Blinkk, because we knew they could bring the cinematographic and documentary approach we wanted for this caign.

If you look at their work it's the right combination of beautiful photography, with a real and authentic look and feel. The film was shot across different parts of the UK, including Wadhurst, Hastings, Bristol and London.

You have worked on similar caigns in the past [for adidas Unite All Originals] where real people are delivering both scripted and improvised lines; why do you enjoy incorporating improvisation to your work?

I don’t know, it’s probably because I like going with the unknown sometimes. I think if you let the accidents or surprises happen then you will end up with something interesting on the table.

I like when it's real. If you go for something too scripted sometimes it ends up being a bit fake or staged. Also on this occasion, I have to admit, that in choosing to work with real people, it meant we couldn't have had too many scripted situations for the simple reason that they aren't actors.

In the past, the caigns for the brand have been quite dark; was it a conscious decision to address this and turn it around?

Yes. The idea was to relaunch the brand with a positive feeling. Usually you associate a brand that sells retirement solutions with something serious or quite dark and that’s why we wanted to flip this feeling on its head and create something that puts a smile on your face instead. We wanted to show beautiful portraits of people ‘living lightly’, because they have a plan.

And the widow still features, of course, but she seems like she has a new spring in her step. How did you approach the treatment of the iconic character?

We wanted to keep the main elements that made the Widow an iconic character in the past – the hood, the black and red cloak, a lady, her elegance and being a reassuring character.

But we didn't want to have her as the main character this time. Instead we wanted her to be more of a guide, introducing the story. She almost acts as an abstract character who opens the curtains on life.

Music has also been an important element in the brand’s advertising in past years; tell us about deciding on that aspect.

Music was probably the most delicate part of the project. We were looking for a score that would underline the light hearted feeling immersed within the pictures. We approached Circle of Sound because of the type of work they do and the way they compose music.

We gave them the film and asked if they could create something that feels like it has been played for the first time, almost live. When you listen to it you can appreciate the raw aspect of each instrument; it’s imperfect and not processed. A bit like the images feeling real and not staged.

You like to work with improv and non-scripted scenes, so would you agree that sometimes it is okay not to be completely tied to a plan that is set in stone?

I completely agree... sometimes the plan is not to have one.

Tell us about the voice at the beginning of the advert; he sounds familiar…

It's the voice of Alfred Hitchcock. We found this amazing clip of an interview with him on The Huffington Post website. His definition of happiness: "A clear horizon… nothing to worry about", gave a really nice depth to the picture and I feel clearly underlines the meaning of the images.