My Favourite Nicolai Fuglsig Commercials
ACES Favourites: This is another in the globally popular ACES series of featuring commercial filmmakers and directors that I admire for their skills in bringing creative concepts, and storylines to enthralling life.
Nicolai Fuglsig
After graduating from the Danish School of Media and Journalism, Nicolai became a highly successful, multi award-winning photojournalist and filmmaker, and a two-time recipient of the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Direction of Commercials.
1. Samsung Galaxy Note10, Alpaca
Advertising Agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), New York, USA
Production Company: MJZ, New York, USA
This very watchable commercial with the message; “The power of the Galaxy Note10 with S Pen does everything, so you can do anything”, was directed with great comedic skill by filmmaker Nicolai Fuglsig.
The song ‘Apache’ by Michael Viner’s ‘Incredible Bongo Band’ provides a fitting soundtrack to this amusing send-up of the fashion industry’s creative fad initiatives.
2. Macy’s, The Chase
Advertising Agency: BBDO, New York, USA
‘The Chase’ scenario for the famous department store Macy’s, features six different women who are mesmerised by encountering another version of themselves.
Compellingly directed by filmmaker Nicolai Fuglsig, the narrative is driven by an orchestral soundtrack of Blondie’s hit song “One Way or Another”, the lyrics of which, are sung by the respective women as they chase their other selves.
The highly watchable commercial’s message of ‘Find The Remarkable You’, is an insightful target audience enticement to shop at Macy’s.
3. Coca-Cola, It’s Mine
Advertising Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Oregon, USA
Production Company: MJZ, New York, USA
Post Production and VFX Studios: The Mill, New York, USA
Voted by Adweek as ‘Ad of The Decade’, the creative inspiration for this visually rewarding commercial, are the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades of giant balloons over New York City.
Brilliantly directed by filmmaker Nicolai Fuglsig, the multi award-winning air-borne tussle has an amusing ending with Charlie Brown being the surprising victor.
4. Sony Bravia LCD, Colour Like No Other
Advertising Agency: Fallon, London, UK
Production Company: MJZ, Los Angeles, California, USA
This multi award-winning and Cannes Grand Prix commercial, features a cascade of 250,000 colourful rubber balls bouncing down streets in San Francisco.
Conceived by Argentine writer and Art Director, Juan Cabral, and Fallon’s executive creative director, Richard Flintham, the colourful spectacle was directed by filmmaker Nikolai Fuglsig, using six strategically placed high-speed cameras, and 23 camera operators.
The slow motion Sony Bravia commercial, with its resonating soundtrack of “Heartbeat”, by Swedish indie folk singer-songwriter, and guitarist, Jose Gonzalez, was premiered during the break of the 2005 FA Premier League game, between Manchester United and Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge.
‘Colour Like No Other’ was met with resounding universal applause, and widely acclaimed to be the best commercial of the 21st century’s first decade.
5. Guinness, Sapeurs
Advertising Agency: AMV BBDO, London, UK
Production Company: MJZ, London, UK
Post Production Company: The Mill, London, UK
The semi-documentary ‘Guinness Sapeurs’ scenario, was directed by filmmaker Nicolai Fuglsig, and conceived by Copywriter Nicholas Hulley, and Art Director Nadja Lossgott, a South African advertising team based in London.
‘Sapeurs’ are members of The Society of ‘Ambiance-ists’ and, The ‘Sape’ People of Elegance Society.
They follow a tradition unique to Kinshasa, the capital of Zaire, and neighbouring Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, of stylishly wearing formal male attire from Europe, that include Scottish dress-kilts.
A tradition, that renowned Afro-Rock musician Papa Wemba, once described as ‘making an art of clothes invented by white people’.
‘Sapeurs’ however, aren’t just elegantly dressed, working-class men, parading their freedom of expression. They follow strict codes that demand high standards of personal cleanliness, hygiene, and behaving like a gentleman.
They have earned a highly respected status in society of exemplary behaviour and decorum, and for Guinness, they embody an important life lesson, of not allowing your circumstances to define who you are.
The soundtrack features “What Makes a Good Man” by the English Rock Band, ’The Heavy’.
6. Guinness, Tipping Point
Advertising Agency: AMV BBDO, London UK
Production Company: MJZ, London, UK
Post Production and VFX Studio: The Mill, London, UK
Filmed in the remote Argentinian village of Iruna, this famous 2007 Guinness ‘Tipping Point’ commercial, in celebration of community, was directed by filmmaker Nicolai Fuglsig, with the enthusiastic participation of its 3,000 inhabitants.
The villagers not only performed as the film’s cast, they also helped mightily in building the elaborate constructions that would cause ‘domino-like’ chain reactions, that were crucial to the success of the commercial.
As a build up to the launch of the commercial, a visual puzzle was creatively conceived for an online competition.
Edited, short-film segments, of the chain reactions were revealed, for viewers to figure out how they would link consecutively in the final commercial.
Tens of thousands rose to the challenge for the winning prize of a solid gold domino set, and spent long hours exchanging hints and tips on social media.
The campaign’s ‘Good Things Come To Those Who Wait’ commercial theme, features a soundtrack of “Spanish Dance No. 6”, by classic music composer, and concert pianist Enrique Granados from Catalonia, Spain.