Nilsson & W+K on Taking the Biscuit with TK Maxx

W+K's creatives Christen Brestrup (R) & Bertie Scrase: 

What was the brief with which TK Maxx contacted you?

The Ridiculous Possibilities campaign has been running for about a year now, highlighting exciting opportunities that can be inspired by the great value awaiting to be discovered in TK Maxx. The brief for the Christmas campaign was in keeping with this spirit, but that really pushed the best thing about shopping at TK Maxx at Christmas: [the fact] that you can find a whole manner of surprising gifts at unexpectedly low prices.

How long have you been working on this campaign and how did you approach it?

We started working on this spot back in July. At the heart of Ridiculous Possibilities is the truth that anything can happen. And the joy of surprising yourself or others.

Everyone loves Christmas, but we wanted to shake up Christmas tradition and prove that the festive season is best when it's more surprising. Just think back to being a kid and having your socks knocked off by gifts you had no idea you were getting... Those days were so much fun. With this spot, we wanted to bottle that unexpected joy of receiving something surprising. Which is exactly what can happen when you take a trip into TK Maxx; you never know what you might discover.

The idea for the spot is pretty wacky. What was the thinking behind it and was there anything in particular that inspired the ad?

We wanted to surprise the viewer in a really fun way; hoodwink them into thinking that this is just another cosy Christmas ad, with a family singing a song. Then pull the rug out from underneath them in a way that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Christmas is the one time of year when people are willing to take things a little less seriously and get into the spirit of things. It's also about spending more time with family. So a big part of this spot is really feeling each of the individual family members.

Inspiration-wise, Andreas liked the vibes of that classic David Bowie and Bing Crosby Christmas duet (below). Mixed with the cheeky playfulness of ABBA videos. And, of course, Andreas being Andreas, he brings his own presents to the tree!

At what point did you get Andreas Nilsson involved and why did you think that he was the best director for it?

Andreas got involved when we were choosing what song to go with. We felt it was really important for the director to be involved in this choice. It IS the idea, after all. Initially, there was a different track on the script... something more lyrical. But Andreas was keen on the idea of a sing-song without lyrics. He felt this would be much fresher and more surprising.

Song aside though, to be really surprising, we needed a big dose of originality and humour. Two things Mr Nilsson is fantastic at. Also, TK Maxx is predominantly a fashion brand, so of course Andreas brings with him his own unique sense of style. That was very important.

Last year’s campaign tugged at the heart strings and played on the emotions, why did you decide that this year’s message should be communicated through comedy and in a non-conventional way?

Christmas advertising in general has become quite heart-wrenching and emotional in recent years. We wanted to try and do something a little different that hopefully brings a grin to your face. 2016 has been a tough year, after all.

And what was the thinking behind choosing Misirlou as the spot’s theme tune? It’s not often associated with Christmas…

With this idea, there were so many different places we could take it. So it made sense to keep it open. Rap. Heavy metal. Electronic dance. We listened to all the music out there. Literally all of it.

But one thing we did know was that Andreas’ acappella idea was the way forward. A sing-song around a piano, but with no piano and no lyrics. That felt nice and surprising to us.

In the end, we gave a handful of tracks to Andreas’ composer friend back in Sweden and he demoed them. ‘Misirlou’ just felt like it had the best spirit. Still joyous enough for Christmas, yet with a bit of relentless drive and energy. The most unexpected thing for a family to be singing around the piano at Christmas - the theme tune from Pulp Fiction. You’re right, it’s not normally associated with Christmas. Which is hopefully what will make it stand out.

Biscuit director Andreas Nilsson:

What appealed to you about the script? 

I was a fan of the work the creatives on this job had done in the past and liked what they had to say about this campaign. Basically to make a distorted version of Wham’s Last Christmas.

How much of a challenge did you predict it would be to communicate the comedy, and did it go as expected or did it just flow? 

Discussing comedy performance with a 7-month-old actor/model is always exciting. Their perspective on life is a bit out of the ordinary. I learned a lot from that little actor/model. 

Tell me about the production process: where did you shoot and did all the logistics to according to plan? 

We shot it in the house where my producer Kwok Yau was born. Just like a suburban version of Jesus Christ he was actually born by the fireplace in the living room on Christmas day. That whole backstory was what made us go with this location. 

What did you look for in the protagonists? They’re a pretty unusual bunch. 

I wanted them to look like my family back home in Derstinkenburg, Sweden... What do you mean ”unusual”?

How much do you enjoy shooting comedy? 

It´s my third favourite thing to do in life. First is playing banjo with Kwok and second is going on holiday with my wife.