Taylor James Unveils an Explosion of the Senses in New Air Wick Ad

To show just how much other scents overwhelm, Taylor James decided to build a real potpourri explosion for Air Wick's spot with Havas Worldwide. Inspired by filmmakers Wes Anderson, Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Glazer, the creative studio chose a spectacular in-camera approach, with a finished product that stuns from start to finish.

Pitch | Test

Before sharing their pitch, the team conducted their own R&D on potpourri explosions. With Air Wick's emphasis on being natural, live-action was the best approach; as it provides realism, and is more time efficient, giving greater creative flexibility. The test proved instrumental to Taylor James’ being awarded the work.

Pre-production | Designing the house

Speaking about the project, Jay Harwood, ECD, overseeing both the live action and visual effects said: “The home's architecture was the first consideration. We wanted a space where you could see the plug-in, and the rest of the room behind it; and one that could look both old and musty but at the same time new and fresh once transformed. A New England-style home emerged as the best solution/fit.”

“Each room was its own unique set. The space was heavily art directed, with Wes Anderson-inspired symmetry. While at first we considered building the set at two thirds of the scale, this would then call for more things to be changed in post, so we kept it at life size. In the look and feel of the new home, we created a visual connection between the space and the product packaging”, adds Jay.

Production | Live action Shoot

A live action shoot allowed for greater flexibility — and even gave Taylor James more time to create additional shots and angles. The house was built over 3 days with the team working in shifts throughout the day and night. “When we found ourselves with additional time due to the speedy set build, we came up with the shot of the room filled with flowers. This allowed us to elevate the creative and have more options in the edit room”, explains Jay.

Production | The Explosion

Air cannons were used to explode potpourri and show the house bursting at the seams with the overpowering odour. The house's door and eight windows were all rigged with air cannons to explode in unison. On set, the first test failed — the real potpourri, not yet completely dried, was too heavy. However, because of their test during the pitch, the team knew it was achievable. A rush back up order of fresh flowers created a lighter load, enabling them to blow the potpourri fifty feet across the soundstage. 

Final

“Our explosion is stitched together in the wide shot; different takes were combined to create one perfectly choreographed explosion that fills the garden in one sequence. This project was a joy from beginning to end. With the time, flexibility, and realism that live-action allowed, we created a fun and entertaining spot”, concludes Jay.