How NOVA’s Close Encounter of the Third Kind Proved That Music Unites All
From the moment we are born, we are introduced to music. A sweet lullaby is sung to help us fall asleep, and then as we get older, our parents and older siblings show us their favourite artists. We dance to the singing of people long gone until eventually we find the beat of our own drum.
We scream over boy bands and cry when we hear lyrics that have been written just for us…obviously. We hold each other's hands on the dance floor, and experience a joy we’re convinced is unlike anything else in the world - only to do it all again next Saturday night. We lay in our bedrooms with our headphones in, and our troubles disappear.
Music will always be a huge part of our existence here on Earth, so it’s only natural to wonder if our joy for a good melody is shared by those among the stars.
Dan Saunders, creative director at The Hallway expressed this notion in the newest brand campaign for Smooth FM, showcasing the completely universal nature of music.
The spot taps into the beauty that is music's ability to unite people, even if they happen to be an alien. The simplistic idea that the world is ‘together in music’ makes the campaign effective in providing a strong standing platform for the brand.
Dan spoke to LBB’s Casey Martin about the bravery expressed by NOVA and Smooth FM for trusting in the effectiveness of the end result.
LBB> Talk us through the process of getting to this idea. What was on the cutting room floor? Was it a one-hit wonder?
Dan> When given a brief where we are asked to challenge the norms, we always want to make sure all parties (agency and client) are aligned, so that there are no surprises when it comes to the ideas. When we were aligned, the first thing to do was to settle on a strong brand platform that will have longevity, and one that could be built upon creatively.
It’s definitely not a one hit wonder. Having settled on ‘together in music’ as a brand platform, the ideas and scripts came thick and fast. But we found that when we thought about a shared love for music, that we often ended up in familiar scenarios. Mixed tapes / parties / road trips, etc. So we pushed harder. The idea came from a simple insight: Music has the power to unite. And if it has the power to unite people, can we go a step further and venture outside of humanity?
LBB> When producing a TVC for a radio show, how did you go about exploring both mediums of entertainment?
Dan> It’s no secret that music has a profound ability to bring us together, and the kind of music that Smooth FM plays all day does that in ways not many other radio stations can. The timeless, anthemic, evocative tracks that define the station transcend language and cultural boundaries.
Mostly you’ll find the radio hosts front and centre of a TVC about a radio show. But in order to launch a new platform, we needed to think bigger and move away from convention. Music clearly had a major part to play, so it was really about finding a unique way to deliver that music and making it a central point in the storytelling of togetherness.
LBB> What surprised you about this project? What did you learn?
Dan> It’s great when a client backs bravery. Adam and his team, in this case, absolutely did that. It would have been easy to play it safe, but that doesn’t get you fame. When everyone is aligned, anything is possible.
LBB> What were the challenges?
Dan> There are always challenges. We were ambitious with our time and budget, but PLAZA did an amazing job for us in making both work. For various reasons this had to be shot in broad daylight, so very careful consideration was given to the shot list, and the post production process, that needed to bring it to life successfully and make it look like dusk. We managed to achieve that with some great post and grade from The Editors.
LBB> Is there anything within this project that will transfer into future projects?
Dan> Absolutely. Aligned ambition is key. Good robust conversations up front, lead to much smoother results. Pun intended.
LBB> What was on the mood board? Where did you find inspiration?
Dan> Close Encounters of the Third kind was definitely an inspiration. Aliens using music to communicate seemed interesting, and fitted with our insight. Shot references also included Stranger Things and War of the Worlds, amongst many others. Though these were more for cinematography, framing, and a collaboration with Paul Middleditch than tonal.
LBB> The OOH is filled with such heart. Talk us through the design process for the OOH.
Dan> Again, simplicity. In OOH you need to get the message across quickly, so from a comms perspective we knew that we couldn't labour the fact. The inspiration really came from throwing around ideas with the team on the ‘Together’ part of the platform, and where, when and why people listen to music together. Where we landed put the artist (and therefore the music) as the central character. We love this OOH, as it has such longevity in terms of headlines and moments that show how music brings us together.
LBB> When working with any brand but in particular a very popular radio show, what is the most important question you ask in order to understand the message they are trying to portray?
Dan> Does it communicate with our audience by being simple and based in truth? Music has the power to unite us, whether we are singing in the car with friends, at a party, or belting it out with neighbours. Music brings us together - that’s even truer when it comes to the music that’s played on Smooth FM.
