It’s Strongbow Season – new TVC via Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne hits TV screens this Sunday

Sunday, 2nd January 2011 will mark the debut of the new 60 second Strongbow commercial hitting TV screens across the nation and officially launching ‘It’s Strongbow Season’ for the nation’s number one cider brand.

This latest creative from Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, titled ‘Summer Blossom’, captures that summer holiday spirit of a group of fun-loving friends enjoying each other’s company at a summer BBQ around a pool – but with an unexpected twist.

VIEW THE TVC

According to Clive Coleman, group marketing manager for Cider,the vitality and energy of the Strongbow brand really shines through inthis latest TVC: “Strongbow is Australia’s favourite cider and has beenthe perfect drink on a hot summer’s day for over 40 years. This new TVCreally captures the fun-loving summer holiday spirit Strongbow is allabout. What better way to illustrate that than with a bunch of friendshaving a great time at good old summer BBQ around the pool.”

“Itwas truly an international production, sourcing everything from thedirector to the location to the paper blossom from Australia andbeyond. We’re thrilled with the final result, a TVC that really kicksoff Strongbow Season and a big summer ahead for the brand,” saidColeman.

Strongbow’s signature iconography – the apple tree -features heavily in the new commercial. It gives viewers the impressionit’s snowing in summer before revealing that it’s actually blossomblowing from an apple orchard, signalling the start of summer andStrongbow Season.

Creating the ‘blossom effect’ was no smallfeat. The 15 million pieces of paper blossom, or Special Effects Snow(SFX snow), was cut out of tissue paper, separated by a speciallyconstructed high pressure air vacuum and shipped in from Los Angeles.To create a blanket of blossoms around the pool took 40 boxes ofbio-degradable starch product.

Filming the TVC on location inNew Zealand was an easy decision, partly because of its famed naturalbeauty but also because of the locally based Special Effects Snowtechnicians who are arguably the best in the business having experiencecreating vast amounts of SFX snow for Hollywood blockbusters such as”The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe”, “Narnia” and “The Lord of theRings”.

The idea was created by Paul Reardon and Simon Bagnascoat Clemenger BBDO Melbourne. One of Australia’s most sought afterdirectors, Mark Molloy, who worked on the previous Strongbow televisioncommercial launched in 2008, also directed this latest TVC. Clemengeralso enlisted Australian-born DoP, Greig Fraser, who travelled out fromLos Angeles for this shoot and brought with him a rarely used 30 yearold set of anamorphic lenses from the vault of a camera rental companyto allow the crew to shoot wider, ultimately giving a more cinematiclook. 

Josh Robbins, creative director at Clemenger BBDOMelbourne says of the new campaign: “This is a big moment for Strongbowthat’s all about the brand blossoming into a summer icon. It takes youon a journey with friends that doesn’t end up where you think it will.”

Thisyear is tipped to be huge for cider in Australia; in the 12 months toSeptember 2010, demand has grown by 21%, making it the fastest growingalcohol category in Australia and Strongbow is the clear marketleader2.

The launch of the TVC forms part of a major campaignby the brand throughout summer to mark It’s Strongbow Season, includingoutdoor and cinema creative as well as a series of major music festivalactivations around the country to strengthen Strongbow’s dominance asthe nation’s number one cider.

Client: CUB – Strongbow

Craig Conway – Sound Engineer