Procter & Gamble is using a combination of children and Christmas
in the latest offensive in its perpetual battle to safeguard Fairy
Liquid from own-label rivals.
Shot on location, the 30-second spot breaking this week features
children in their home environment to give the film a natural feel.
Grey Worldwide London has produced the commercial, which maintains the
strategy of promoting Fairy Liquid as longer-lasting than other
products.
The ad, running nationally on terrestrial and satellite TV in the run-up
to Christmas, highlights a special edition Christmas bottle. But the
underlying message is illustrated by two seven-year-olds impatiently
waiting to re-use the bottle to make a toy.
The film opens with Thomas who excitedly shows the camera the plasticine
and straw which will form the buttons and aerial for his phone.
He is downcast to find that his friend, Britney, has already made her
phone. He watches enviously as she chats and has to be content with
measuring the contents of his mother's Fairy Liquid bottle, which shows
little sign of becoming empty.
Finally, Christmas comes and he gets the chance to make his toy with
which to call Santa Claus. The endline seasonally updates the brand's
jingle as: "Have a mild green Fairy Christmas."
Tim Mellors, the Grey chairman and creative director, said: "Everything
about this spot is real. That's what gives it its edge."
The film was written by Russell Garn, art directed by Jamie Bell and
directed by Ian Eames for the Moving Picture Company. Media buying is
being handled by MediaCom.
