These ads set in real-life bathroom and kitchens take an affectionate, close-up look at energy use

Simon Ratigan directs British Gas work by WPP's Nucleus informed by customer data

Published On
Feb 11, 2020

Editor's Pick

A new campaign for energy supplier British Gas aims to build a more emotional connection with audiences for the brand, with an affectionate glimpse into the daily lives of real people and their reliance on energy. 

Directed by Simon Ratigan of HLA, the two executions focus on a bathroom (seen here) and a kitchen (below) and all the activity that takes place in them during a normal, busy day in the life of a family or couple.  For example, in the bathroom ad we see everything that goes on in a busy family, from leg shaving, to spider removal, to kids fishing in the toilet, the dog being washed and someone taking a pregnancy test.  In each ad, the frenetic activity is interrupted by an energy supply failure and everything comes to a stop -- at which point British Gas arrives promptly to fix the boiler or fuse box.

Taglined "Here to Solve," the campaign is created by Nucleus, the integrated WPP bespoke agency for Centrica, which owns British Gas and the integrates creative and strategic businesses of The&Partnership, MediaCom, WundermanThompson and BCW. The agency harnessed customer data to creatively inform the everyday occurrences that are portrayed within the spots. 

The campaign also features real-life families and was filmed in genuine London homes.“Using genuine families was an absolute must," says Ratigan. "Having a real couple in the kitchen and mum, dad and the kids in the bathroom brought an energy and spontaneity to the scenes and helped keep everything real. Being comfortable with one another soon made them forget the camera and this comes across in their performances. The mother in the bathroom film proved to be an absolute gem. Not only was she happy to bath, shower and check for lumps half naked in a room full of men, she even agreed to scoop up a spider several times despite a severe phobia for the creatures."

 

Credits

Date
Feb 11, 2020
Client :
British Gas
Agency :
nucleus
Marketing Director :
Jill Dougan
Head of Customer Engagement & Acquisition :
Randy Freeman
Marketing Manager :
June Carter
Agency :
nucleus
Executive Creative Director :
Micky Tudor
Creative :
Kate Allsop
Creative :
Howard Green
Creative :
Briony Hey
Creative :
Andy Clark
Senior Producer :
Rick Carter
UK Business Lead :
Stephanie Trowbridge
Senior Account Director :
Nathan Brocklesby
Account Director :
Darcy White
Account Manager :
Ciara Burke
Account Manager :
Carrie Pollock
Account Executive :
Ffion Green
UK Strategy Lead :
David Adamson
PR Lead :
Laura Bevan
CRM Lead :
Natalie Ott
Media Lead :
Grace Raymond
Digital Lead :
Amy Humphrey
Planner :
Olly Owen
Production Company :
HLA
Director :
Simon Ratigan
Executive Producer :
Mike Wells
Producer :
Nicola Dempsey
Production Assistant :
Kelly Brown
Director of Photography :
Florian Hoffmeister
1st AD :
Henry Forsyth
Camera Operator :
Dan Lobo-Pires
Production Designer :
Tom Gander
1st AD :
Henry Forsyth
Camera Operator :
Dan Lobo-Pires
Editor :
Cut & Run
Editor :
Sam Jones
Grade :
The Mill
Colorist :
Seamus O’Kane
Grade Post Producer :
Charlie Morris
Post Production :
BigBuoy
Senior Post Producer :
Glen Percival
VFX Supervisor :
Tim Davies
Sound Design :
Big Kahuna Films
Sound Engineer :
Nick Olsouzidis
Music Supervision :
We Are Theodore
Music Supervisor :
Arnold Hatting
Music :
Song Can-Can (Peter's Friends)

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