Virgin Media's Usain Bolt Ad Demonstrates What 9.58 Seconds Feels Like
Spot Consists of Sequences That Match the Length of His World Record
Editor's Pick
When Usain Bolt broke the 100m world record, he did it in 9.58 seconds. In this clever ad for Virgin Media, BBH London tries to demonstrate to the viewer what 9.58 seconds feels like, using a series of 10 sequences that are exactly that length.
The film combines footage shot in Jamaica by the director, Academy's Seb Edwards, with stock footage of Bolt and his fans, and some original animation and graphics. It's narrated by world 400m record holder Michael Johnson, who has been a mentor to Bolt.
One of the 10 sequences is a real-time dramatization of the historic 9.58-second record-breaking run, mimicking the distance and speed Bolt ran it at, across Jamaican locations he grew up at as a boy. Among the other nine sequences, there's one that turns 9.58 seconds into a video-game-like scenario, and an animated version in which he's a superhero. The film ends with the campaign line, "Are you ready to be moved?"
The spot launches on U.K. TV today, ahead of Bolt's intention to compete at the Rio Olympics, and will run throughout the summer. Virgin has used Bolt for the past four years in its advertising, promoting the speed of its broadband. Kerris Bright, chief marketing officer at Virgin Media, commented in a statement: "This campaign is about the power and emotion of speed, creating an emotive story around Bolt and our brand. All at a time he is hoping to make history, but in a way that connected to our core attribution of speed."
Credits
- Date
- Jul 06, 2016
- Brand :
- Virgin Media
- Client :
- Virgin Media
- Agency :
- BBH-London
- Director :
- Seb Edwards
- Production Company :
- Academy Films
- Chief Marketing Officer :
- Kerris Bright
- Head of Advertising :
- Ellie Tory
- Head of Sponsoring :
- Ellie Tory
- Creative :
- Nick Gill
- Creative :
- Davud Karbassioun
- Executive Creative Director :
- Nick Gill
- Strategist :
- Alana King
- Director, Strategy :
- Elle Graham-Dixon
- Business Lead :
- Zoe Verrion
- Account Manager :
- Graham Moffat
- Account Director :
- Andrew Connolly
- Chief Production Officer :
- Davud Karbassioun
- Creative Team :
- Nick Gill
- Creative Team :
- Davud Karbassioun
- Producer :
- Alen Grebovic
- Producer :
- Victoria Keenan
- Producer Assistant :
- Sarah Finnigan Walsh
- Executive Producer :
- Dominic Thomas
- Executive Producer :
- Davud Karbassioun
- Director, Photography :
- Alwin Kuchler
- Post Production :
- Electric Theatre Collective
- Post Production Producer :
- Libby Behrens
- 2D Lead :
- Giles Cheetham
- Telecine :
- Aubrey Woodiwiss
- Animation :
- The Line
- Animation Director :
- Wesley Louis
- Sequence Director :
- Wesley Louis
- Editor :
- Tom Lindsay
- Editing Company :
- Trim Editing
- Sound Design :
- Anthony Moore
- Sound Designer :
- Factory
- Music :
- Arch Birds
- Voiceover :
- Michael Johnson
- Print Producer :
- Lauren Daniels
- Print Producer :
- Simon Taylor
- Digital Producer :
- Charlie Hurlock
- Digital Producer :
- Chris Robertson
- Creative Director :
- Chris Lawson
- Creative Team :
- Andrew Stone
- Creative Team :
- Adrian Thomas
- Account Director :
- Valdemar Domingos
- Producer :
- Charlie Hurlock
- Producer :
- Sarah Finnigan Walsh
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