JWT London produced this thoroughly minimalist ad for Canon Europe which foregoes any music or voiceover, instead relying completely on ambient sound as it depicts the nocturnal foraging of local deer.
The 90-second ad, entitled “Urban Deer” was shot by director Jonathan Glazer in “a London/Essex suburb near Epping Forest,” (according to Adweek) in the early hours of the morning as deer emerge from a wooded area to graze on suburban lawns. “Urban Deer” follows the deer as they graze, at one point joined by a fox and cat, before the neighborhood’s human inhabitants wake up. At the end of the spot, the tagline “Come and see” appears onscreen, before finally revealing the Canon logo and letting viewers know what is being advertised. While visually stunning and powerful in its starkness, it may be a little too minimalist for its own good. How many viewers will actually sit through the entire ad, and how many of those will realize the connection between the striking images in “Urban Deer” and Canon, the brand it is promoting? We’re guessing not that many. (Although JWT London does address this somewhat with a campaign site documenting photography techniques used to capture some of the shots in the ad.)
Credits:
Client: Canon Europe
Consumer Imaging Marketing Communications Director: Nigel Taylor
Creative agency: JWT London
Executive Creative Director: Russell Ramsey
Creative Director: Adam Scholes
Art Director: Anita Davis
Copywriter: Jonathan Budds
Agency Producer: Rebecca Hunter
Project Manager: Romana Kit
Planner (creative agency): Kris Flemington
Business Director: Antony Hill
Board Account Director: Elizabeth Haslam and Claire Howe
Account Director: Tom Ring
Media agency: PHD
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Production Company: Academy Films
Producer: Simon Cooper
Director of Photography: Tom Debenham
Editor: Paul Watts @ The Quarry
Sound: Johnnie Burn @ Wave
Exposure: EMEA