SERVICEPLAN GERMANY

Serviceplan landed a viral hit for its client Penny with the Christmas film “The Rift”. In it, the creative team condensed the diffuse feelings prevailing in society due to various trouble spots into a captivating four minutes. The poignant, dark scenes, impressive effects and fast cuts are followed by a reconciliatory happy ending that emotionally conveys the stance taken by the Penny brand.

Interview with SERVICEPLAN GERMANY

Red Dot: Penny’s touching Christmas film visualises through powerful effects the cracks that run through society and sends the message “Let’s talk”. To what extent does this reflect Penny’s self-image?
SERVICEPLAN GERMANY: Penny is there for people in over 2,000 branches. Especially in city centres, it is firmly rooted in neighbourhoods with its shops. In recent years, this positioning has led to a better understanding of social developments close to these customers, which is also reflected in the brand essence. Hence, Penny has been showing its stance for many years with campaigns around the Christmas season, committed to more community, solidarity and conversation.

The scenes – touching on almost all of the current crises – are highly condensed into four minutes. How important is the conceptual work in advance for this?
Very important. We wanted to highlight current conflicts that people can really identify with, and we discussed the content of the film a lot. We didn’t want to just “tick off” the biggest crises. Our director Seb Edwards showed a lot of sensitivity in this respect.

The Christmas film once again recorded millions of clicks. How important is it for brands to also address social issues?
The act of communication beyond the mere product or service is now expected by many people, and taking a stance is no longer mere advertising. Especially in the cooperation with Penny, it becomes clear how important it is, in the eyes of the audience, to put socially moving topics in the media spotlight.

To what extent can the brand come to the fore in such endeavours, in order to be perceived as an originator, but not as an advertiser in the classical sense?
The brand must not be so predominant that the message is pushed into the background. Only then, in my view, is the message meant seriously. Of course, there will always be people who ask what this film has to do with the Penny brand, but this is happening less and less. Obviously, acceptance for companies that take a stance is growing.