Creating a unique car dealership ad that stands out from the crowd is no easy feat - but with a dash of dark comedy and a stellar script, we think our latest TVC for Perrys Motor Sales has done the trick...
The client Perrys is a nationwide car dealership, selling new and used cars. They were founded over 100 years ago, and today they operate across 40 locations in the UK as well as online.
Our friends at McCann approached us with an amazing script of a woman who has had to compromise to her husband’s wishes throughout their marriage. She has finally says enough at the decision for the new car, and the audience are left wondering how she's won this argument as she tamps down her new patio. We approached Jackie Oudney with the script, as we knew she’d understand the dark comedy side and bring the style of a drama to the concept.
Working with Jackie, our first task was to cast the lead character. This was a key element to the whole ad, as the concept is a monologue to the camera. We had a few casting recalls and were all really happy with Nikki Hellens. Her facial expressions and delivery of the script really brought the character to life.
The other key element was the location. Locations manager Dan Connolly trawled the streets of Manchester to find a house that would fit with the demographic of the character. The main challenge was finding a house that had a driveway through to the back garden, without a gate or garage in the way!
We shot over 1 day with 2 cameras. In the morning, we had 2 cameras at the house location to capture the script and the lovely glances to the side as our lead character talks. Then, after lunch, we sent one of our camera team and the client to capture the Perrys Garage in Preston, while we continued to get the high, wide shots of her tamping down her patio. We were lucky with the weather, and the crew collaborated really well, resulting in a relaxed, positive atmosphere.
All post production was done in-house by our amazing team. The result was 1 x 30” TVC, 1 x 30” online with a slightly longer script and 1 x 40” director’s cut.
Zane Radcliffe, Exec Creative Director at McCann said:
“Jackie has been a pleasure to work with and brought so much to our script. As have Abi and the team at The Gate. The casting is top notch. The shoot itself was a breeze. A tricky location brief but they found the perfect house and garden. The client was relatively new to it all and both Jackie and The Gate really helped them understand the process and involve them on the day. The result is a fresh and darkly funny spot that will raise plenty of smiles (and a few eyebrows!).”
Client & Crew
Client - Perrys
Director - Jackie Oudney
Producer - Abi Saleem
Production Manager - Lindsay Cowan
Production Assistant - Anna Boase
Executive Producer - Josh Boswell
D.O.P - Dan Lightening
Focus Puller - Dann Cooper
DIT - Jan Koblanski
DIT Support - Megan Parker
VT Op - Matt Hewitt
Grip - Christopher McDonough
2nd Camera - Mark Davenport
Gaffer - Chris Sarginson
Spark - Lee Simington
Sound - John Horrocks
Art Director – Antony Wright
Stylist - Steven Spencer & Leila Milne
HMU – Katie Wrigley
Cast - Nikki Hellens
Voiceover - Michael Ashtiany
Post / VFX & Grade – The Gate Films
Location Manager - Dan Connolly
Agency - McCann
Exec Producer - Sarah Jarvis
Exec Creative Director - Zane Radcliffe
Senior Art Director - Ken Sara
Senior Account Director - Alex Lake
Senior Account Manager - Abbey McGrane
Like what you see? Think we could bring your idea to the screen, then contact us below.
