Tesco - Being Big - (2015) :60 (Ireland)

Tilt–shift photography is back in this ad, this time turning what some people see as the negative of Tesco into the positive. Tesco is big. But big means they pass the the benefits of that size to customers, suppliers and local communities. So customers are tiny while bread, salad, and that Tesco bag is huge. Got it. Tilt–shift photography is fun, isn't it? For once this execution style is intrically tied to the point being made. Looks so good I actually wondered, did they make a giant loaf of bread or was it added in post?

This campaign is about unveiling the hidden truths about Tesco as a brand,” comments Copywriter Bernie Martin. “When we started working with Tesco earlier this year, we really wanted to understand what made them tick. So we met colleagues, fruit and veg growers, farmers, the Tesco Quality Team, anyone who’d talk to us and ultimately, we discovered something we weren’t expecting – Yes, Tesco is a big machine but it also has a really big heart.

“The problem was no one seemed to know about all the good things they’ve been doing! With a revival in independent traders and craft produce, consumers have begun to shed a negative light on large corporations. ‘Big Can Be Good’ seeks to reveal the great behind-the-scenes work Tesco is doing to support Irish trade and communities.”
To bring the idea to life, Rothco and Tesco combined their thinking with a unique production technique called ‘tilt shift’, creating a toy town Ireland filled with big products, big benefits and big customer promises. Australian film director, Keith Loutit, who pioneered the style, worked on the production for the commercial with the team from Butter and Director Hadi.

Explaining the reasoning behind the choice of style, Martin comments: “We chose the tilt shift style because it carries a huge amount of charm, and we felt that it perfectly complemented the honest and humble tone of voice we were looking for. We also saw using large products and objects in each scene as an interesting way to highlight and emphasise all the things that Tesco are big on in Ireland. Not only that, it’s also a unique style that wouldn’t be confused with communications from any other supermarket.”

Agency : Rothco
Art Director : Paddy Geraghty
Copywriter : Bernie Martin

Production Company : Butter
Director : Hadi
Producer : Gráinne Tiernan
Music : ‘Forever, Wherever’ by Andrew Jed
Post Production : Screen Scene
Sound : Avondale
Voiceover : Marie Ruane