Seen+Noted: PHC films directs new campaign for Australian bag company Crumpler

PHC Films has delivered a 19 spot campaign, ‘Sub-3000’ for Australian bag company Crumpler. Following the incredible success of the previous campaign ‘Life Zone’, PHC Films brought its vision to a new series of films shot in Crumpler’s home city of Melbourne.

 

Says John Angus Stewart, director: “In our first campaign for Crumpler we designed a technique influenced by flash street photography ala Bruce Gilden. With SUB-3000 we wanted to further that. The most effective part of this technique is that it works perfectly alongside casting non actors. Shooting in slow motion and using a strobing light, the talent is able to understand how to interact with the process and have an idea of the outcome. They are less in the dark and more in the light. Figuratively and literally.

“Coming at advertising from the outside, we can see differences with a naiveté that’s useful when developing ideas for brands. There is a sameness that lingers around advertising, especially surrounding casting and production. This is no fault of any specific department, but of decisions made over their heads. To us the ultimate way of bringing people closer to a brand is casting real people doing real stuff — instead of casting “real” looking actors doing “real” stuff in impossibly well lit kitchens. People are beyond that now, far too literate visually to buy anything that’s going for “naturalist”.

“To us it’s easy to show regular people in a magical way, because the very idea of making the real feel magical strikes some strange moral chord in all of us. Because we want our lives to feel like they mean something. And, subjectively, they do have greater meaning — but it’s hard to remind oneself of that day to day. We wanted to create that link for people and try to move them emotionally in 20 seconds, whilst selling them a shoulder bag or two..

“With SUB-3000 we have tried to deliver a message to the consumer:

“Yes, this is an ad. Yes, you are being sold a product you probably don’t need. But LOOK, this isn’t just an ad — we are trying to show you something real, you haven’t seen, which means we respect you.”

Says Max Coles, producer, “Crumpler is maybe THE MOST Melbourne brand, so we wanted to champion the beauty and diversity of real Melbournians. And by focusing specifically on the sub-cultures they belong to, we were able to access a heightened reality, full of action and joy and theatre and wonder.”

Says David Roper, founder, Crumpler: “There’s almost nothing better than filming in your home town with PHC and SUB-3000 captures Melbourne and its wonderful people so beautifully. I still can’t believe we convinced Max & John to do ads for a bag company!”

Client: Crumpler
Production Company: PHC Films
Director / DP / Edit: John Stewart
Producer: Max Coles
Co-Producer: Sophie Booth
Co-Producer: Grace Quinn
1ST AC: Shawkat Husseini
Edit Assist: Euan Kelly
LX: Alex Voce
LX Assist: Sacha Orloff
Runner / Driver: Ruby Thomas
Stills: Hannah Nikkelson
Stills: Robyn Daly
BTS Stills: Tim Fenby
Crumpler Rep: Dom Whitty
Colourist: Ted Deacey
Audio Mastering: Joe Carra
Thank You: Good Oil