How Uncommon made sparks fly for Airwallex

When financial technology platform Airwallex wanted to announce itself to the world, it turned to Uncommon Creative Studio London for its first global campaign, which has created a beautiful, thoughtful campaign that centres on those creative sparks which usher an new idea into the world.

Directed by Uncommon's Global Creative Partner and Creators Inc. director Sam Walker, the 90-second film is an ode to ingenuity, celebrating the relentless spirit that sees opportunity everywhere.

Shot on location and in-camera, the film was crafted using a rotating rig, creating a seamless, kinetic sequence that continuously reveals each scene, mirroring the momentum of ideas in motion, with a continuous whip-pan camera technique that, says Walker, "forces everything onto an equal footing".

Below, he explains the thinking behind the concept, the challenges in bringing it to fruition, and why a raucous jazz soundtrack was the perfect accompaniment.

As a creative/agency, does working on a brand's first global campaign differ from working on an established brand/product campaign? 

In some ways there is more freedom, but also more pressure too; what’s the one message to define this brand in the world? 

Our goal was to deliver a campaign that matched the scale and ambition of the company itself. 

Airwallex is an incredible, global company already, so our goal was to deliver a campaign that matched the scale and ambition of the company itself. 

What was the brief set by the client, and did you immediately know how you wanted to approach it? 

The brief was to build on Airwallex’s mission to create the future of global banking and launch them onto the world stage with a rallying cry for its customers; a flag in the sand stating this is a brand for those who choose to build the future. 

Above: The spot, called Sparks, highlights inventions that were created from a spark of an idea, including the popcorn machine.  

Once you'd settled on the short, vignette approach, what was the thinking behind the whip-pan way of presenting them? 

The idea was to create an imaginary space where all of these seminal ideas exist on an equal footing. The film opens looking out into nothing, the idea of possibility, and then these ubiquitous inventions suddenly appear, one by one, from nowhere. 

No matter how big or small, life saving or whimsical, new or old, all of these ideas started with a person.

From popcorn machines, to the hula-hoop, to the engine, to the defibrillator, and everything in between. No matter how big or small, life saving or whimsical, new or old, all of these ideas started with a person, they all started with that spark of human ingenuity. The whip pan is a deliberately restrictive technique that forces everything onto an equal footing. There’s energy in only allowing a single camera move; whip-pans from left to right.  

Above: Uncommon Global Creative Partner and Creators Inc. director, Sam Walker [back to camera] on location in the desert.

Had you used the method before/how much planning went into it/what were the main complexities? 

The whip-pan serves the idea rather than simply being an aesthetic choice. The camera was a character in the film, guiding us through the different inventions and ideas. Whipping onto an idea, stopping just long enough to understand what it is, before whip-panning onto the next. It’s like each object is presenting the essence of itself to the viewer before moving on. 

The whip-pan serves the idea rather than simply being an aesthetic choice. 

Each scene has a rhythm to its action, even the ones without any semblance of dance. Choreographer Kevin Bago worked closely with the actors to refine their actions down to a snippet of precise physicality. Whip pan in, a one-to-two second action, whip-pan out. The track was played during each take to help everyone on set feel the right energy. The camera, the actors, the choreography, were all working as one with a unified energy. 

The vignettes of the ideas and inventions themselves are the heart of the story; how much discussion went into what should be used? 

The goal was to present an eclectic mix of ideas rather than simply the greatest inventions of all time. It was a choice to give all ideas equal standing. The small but ubiquitous zip alongside something as dramatic and otherworldly as space travel. No idea gets more prominence than any other idea. Ultimately this film is about the irrational, relentless spirit of those who see opportunity everywhere. It’s an ode to ingenuity, whatever form that takes.

Above: Each of the many different set-ups for the various inventions features in the film were created in situ. 

What was behind the decision to shoot in black and white? 

Black and white is a great visual equaliser of the different eras. Each scene was photographed by Chayse Irvin to be evocative of different decades and moods, but we wanted each scene, no matter which era or how transformative the invention, to be shown with equal prominence. It’s a deliberately democratising filter.  

You've said that the "cinematography of each vignette reflected the different eras of the ideas and inventions"; can you expand on that and what those different cinematographic approaches were? 

Each vignette was shot on location in the desert, but the foreground was intentionally lit differently from the background. Chayse took inspiration from great street photographers and artists from each era and designed lighting to reflect the mood distinct to that time. For example, the jazz scene was lit like a smokey, silhouetted jazz club, whereas the defibrillator was more like the strip lighting of a hospital A&E department, contrasting against the low lighting of the sinking boat or the sun of the hula hoop. 

Chayse [Irvin] took inspiration from great street photographers and artists from each era and designed lighting to reflect the mood distinct to that time. 

The ambition was to create moods that instantly transport the viewer to a moment that encapsulates an idea or invention, rather than just presenting us an object. These objects don’t just exist, they define times and eras, they create the future that moves us all forward.