Judge's comments:

Creative and unique. Maximizing the potential of a single product by reimagining a common item and transforming it into something fun and intriguing.

Description:

Blunt – the brand that reinvented the umbrella, delivers confidence and joy through technical innovation.

The brief for the video campaign was to build brand love and grow brand awareness by bringing to life Blunt’s refreshed brand purpose of "Engineering Joy".

Engineering Joy through 60 seconds of pure entertainment.

Taking inspiration from Japanese group umbrella performances, we executed a highly choreographed dance routine, where precision and timing were key. Shot in a single long take, we placed the product at the heart of 60 seconds of pure entertainment.

The choreographed dance routine is akin to the design, engineering and movement of parts in the umbrella. Innovative choreographer Joshua Cesan from World Hip Hop Champions ‘IDC’, crafted a sequence of visually stunning movements designed to depict the weather, and reflect the precision and confidence of the brand.

The iconic shape of the BLUNT umbrella is also Trademarked and one of the brand's most easily identifiable assets and it was therefore important to use this iconic visual code for instant recognition and brand attribution - for this reason, shooting the video from a drone was the ideal solution.

Camera framing and location details were meticulously selected to enhance the visual appeal. Colours were stripped back to a minimum to hero product design, while a bespoke soundtrack was crafted, featuring recorded elements of the umbrella itself.

The DJI Inspire 3 drone made it technically possible to multiply our number of performers in post; transforming 20 dancers into 180. Simple umbrella actions were manipulated in detail, creating a finale of live action animation depicting weather symbols.

While showcasing our umbrella front and centre, the video element of the campaign brings the ‘engineering joy’ brand purpose to life. Much like our umbrella design, the filming process broke barriers with its technical innovation, precision and most importantly - true enjoyment for our audience.

Research shows that people are more likely to buy umbrellas when it rains, so we capitalised on this insight by creating dynamic ads that utilised global weather APIs. Regardless of your location worldwide, we were able to align dynamic ads with the rain probability in your location. High probabilities triggered relevant animated banners prompting you to purchase an iconic Blunt umbrella.

The results:
761% Higher performance above industry standards in the USA
167% Increase in brand Awareness (within first 3 months)
40.7% New users driven to the website
18.63% CTR Epicentre Locations: Fashion Interest

Note on sustainability:
Blunt prides itself on being sustainable by design, ensuring their umbrellas are built to last and easy to repair. We applied these principles throughout production to minimise waste and environmental impact. Any damaged umbrellas from the shoot were repaired and reused, or given to one of the Blunt affiliated charities that specialise in upcycling used umbrella canopies.