Batchelors: Tasty Meals in Minutes

Client: Premier Foods / Batchelors

Project: NPD Launch

Location: Manchester, UK

Deliverables:

2 x 12s hero adverts for a YouTube Pre-roll campaign
20 x 5K screengrabs

Dead Pixel did:

Ideation & Creative Treatment
Pre-production
Casting
Prop Sourcing
Filming
Directing
Editing & grade

Quote of the Shoot:

“Can someone pass the noods?"

We’ve created 23 ads for Premier Foods’ portfolio of brands over the past 3 years. And on this occasion, they approached us with a new product launch; requiring creative concepts for an upcoming YouTube pre-roll campaign.

We developed three very different ideas and presented each concept during a creative meeting. The Batchelors brand team selected a preferred route and, due to a how well it was received internally, increased the production budget in order to deliver two ads (instead of one). This included producing two variations of the ad to target two separate demographics, with the additional budget acco mmodating for the extra talent, shoot and edit time.

Pre-Production

Once the two creative variants were agreed, we developed a detailed storyboard along with multiple options for casting - sourcing over 100 model suggestions then whittling down to 4 key talent including 2 children.

We worked closely with the local authorities to secure the child licenses and permit the young actors to work. Once this was all agreed and the sets were built and dressed in our Manchester studio, it was onto production!

Production

We shot both ads over two days in our brand new Dead Pixel studio space.

Day 1: Was a light and bright kitchen space with kids drawings on the fridge and Mum preparing the evening meal in a busy family environment.

We varied the shots between lifestyle and close up ‘food-porn’ to really highlight the noodles and how they work well when complimented with a protein source and vegetables.

We finished shooting day 1 at 3pm and then did a full set change ready for the following day.

Our new custom kitchen sets have been specifically designed to be changeable in little to no time. So we pulled off the cupboard doors (attached using heavy duty velcro) and replaced the light green setup with a navy blue look. We also replaced the worktops, set dressing, brought in some different furniture and re-lit the scene to look like a dark and moody bachelor pad.

Day 2: With our second set already in place and styled, we were able to spend more time finessing the lighting and actions to make sure every prop, light and emotion was perfect. We complimented the lifestyle moments with some sexy slow motion foodie shots to make sure the product stood out.

Post-Production

To meet the quick-turnaround deadline, we produced a watertight schedule that saw editing get underway on Day 2 of filming. Our setup allows us to shoot downstairs in the studio and send the footage to our edit suite upstairs to get stuck in. We were able to go through all the selects and even show the client a few shots before they left at the end of day 2.

The 2 x 12s ads came together over the next few days adding in sound design, music and speed ramps to keep the content interesting and engaging. We knew this was designed for a Youtube pre-roll campaign so had to ensure the first 5 seconds was interesting, impactful and encourages people to continue watching.