Sparks Fly for Smart Energy GB's AMV BBDO Stunt

As some of you may or may not know, the government is in the process of introducing a nationwide campaign to install smart meters into every home by 2020.

While this campaign will be beneficial to all of us – no doubt, the government has anticipated that there will be some public resentment about the changes and set up Smart Energy GB, who enlisted the help of AMV BBDO to promote and raise awareness of the campaign.

Introducing Gaz and Leccy, a pair of mischievious characters that personify gas and electricity.

So, what better way to launch the pair than on an unsuspecting audience as they settle down to watch an advance screening of Paranormal Activity 4?

Smart Energy GB marketing director Gavin Sheppard (GS), AMV BBDO’s creative duo Phil Martin and Colin Jones – who actually play the voices of Gaz and Leccy respectively – Picasso Pictures producer Melissa Venet and HeLo director Zach Guerra spoke to shots about the sparks behind the stunt. To find out more, follow #GaznLeccy online. 

What was the brief that you gave to AMV BBDO?

Gavin Sheppard (GS), Smart Energy GB: To make Gaz and Leccy as famous as they could be ahead of the national campaign, out next year.

How did you get involved with Smart Energy GB?

Colin Jones (CJ), AMV BDDO, voice of Leccy: They wanted us to illustrate the problem that people are experiencing with gas and electricity and to show that the situation is out of control. We all have meters underneath our stairs but no one ever reads them yet we all receive estimated energy bills. We took the idea of Gaz and Leccy being out of control and it sort of spiralled from there. Then we got Picasso involved – we talked to quite a few animators and briefed them to come up with some characters to represent gas and electricity.

Phil Martin (PM), AMV BDDO, voice of Gaz: Because smart meters are going to be in everybody’s home, a lot of people don’t want someone coming into their house and interfering. The characters had to be friendly and illustrate Smart Energy GB’s point. That’s why getting the characters right and their look was very key. Otherwise people wouldn’t trust the government’s initiative. Every house in the country has to have smart meters installed so the message had to be simple. In this day and age, how can you not know how much energy you’re using and how much it’s costing you…? That’s the problem that Gaz and Leccy represent; smart meters are the solution.

How was it working with a client with such a strong vision?

Melissa Venet (MV), Picasso Pictures: Smart Energy GB didn’t want us to hold back – which for a director and a producer is the best thing to hear. We’re not selling a product, we’re informing – It’s a bit of a public information message. We’re saying: ‘this is what‘s happening’… rather than ‘this is what’s going on in our shop.’ That gave us a lot more freedom to present, rather than sell. The brief was really to present the characters and their personalities.

Why did you decide to create an experiential and fun stunt for the campaign?

GS: Energy and smart meters are boring; they’re not topics that anybody is really interested in, so we had to make up for that. We knew that we had to approach this campaign creatively and that it had to be epic. It’s not good enough to just be effective; it’s got to be memorable – otherwise nobody cares. They might get the message, but that’s not enough. We tackled this upfront – by using humour and wanting to take over a cinema screening.

Cinema is a fun and relaxing environment. Was it difficult to use that space for an energy-inspired campaign?

PM: Early on, we realised that if we were going to do a Gaz and Leccy stunt in a cinema, where they are fighting to get into the real world – and we’re talking about real issues – we knew we needed to get them off the screen and into the actual cinema. We talked to the animators about 3D and then decided to incorporate theatre.

CJ: Because its electricity and gas, you think ‘how can it manifest itself?’ In a cinema, the film can stop and the lights can get out of control. We didn’t want to blow up the place, but we knew we’d need some gas to throw into the mix too. So we got HeLo on board for some special effects and sparks.

Zach Guerra (ZG), HeLo: We work a lot with the theatre group, Les Enfants Terribles, so this was the perfect setting to collaborate again. The cinema crowd is great for scripted theatre, as all we had to do was set them up, relax and then watch as the surprise unfolds and give them an experience they wouldn’t usually have.  

Do you think the scary film screening disguise helped?

CJ: Because it’s a scary film, it means you can give people less warning. Obviously we don’t want anyone to have a heart attack, but it’s almost like a pre-warned audience when they’re coming in for a horror film.

How did you find animation directors Gold Cactus?

MV: Gold Cactus are brand new directors, so once they were asked to write a treatment, we knew the ball was in their court. They’re not jaded by previous experiences so they just went for it and they’ve got a lot of confidence in the work that they do and are very technically capable.

What was the process behind creating the characters?

MV: They initially presented eight 2D characters, who approved the shape and design of the final pair. From there, they transferred the sketches to CG. Animation directors Remy and Fabrice (of Gold Cactus) always knew what kind of finish they wanted; across between plasticine and vinyl, but they didn’t want it to be too stiff; they wanted them to be able to move. That way, they could be squished and stretched for Tom and Jerry-inspired mischief.

They had the vision early on, they knew that they could support it technically as they can do everything – from animation to rendering and this is their first solo project as directors!

PM: Electricity is sparky; so we decided Leccy needed to have a higher voice range. But then you need a contrast for gas, a slightly slower burner for gas.

CJ: (whispering) Gas is a bit hissy like a leaky gas pipe.

PM: One’s a bit more sparky and a bit more fast – which is electricity – and then gas is a bit more of a slow burner… so that’s why I’m Gaz.