Swedish pension management company SPP released its Earth 2045 campaign earlier this week. The campaign was devised by the folks at M&C Saatchi, and is entirely interactive.
The ad takes place in 2045, transporting viewers to two very different visions of the future - one utopian, one dystopian. As the ad launches, it sees the screen split into two, and the viewer is able to drag a bar to select which version of the future they want to see.
The video that is displayed is synchronised - you're seeing the same scenes in the alternate visions of the future. News reports vary between announcing the opening of a new solar park and declaring civil unrest. Clean city streets with dog walking robots and a woman wheeling a buggy morphs into rubbish-filled sidewalks, with stray dogs and a homeless woman wheeling a trolley. Fridges filled with fresh produce turn into fridges filled with UHT packaged products.
SPP and M&C Saatchi's Earth 2045 shows utopian and dystopian visions of the future.
This all takes place to a rendition of What a Wonderful World. As a pensions provider that specialises in sustainable and socially responsible investment, SPP has sharpened that message for this ad. As the ad draws to a close, the question "how do you want the world to be when you retire?" appears, giving viewers the opportunity to reflect on what they've just seen before stating "saving sustainably pays off, for the world and your finances."
An ad you actually want to re-watch
This is a must-watch ad, and I'd wager that even the biggest anti-marketers will find some joy in watching and rewatching this ad, viewing the different scenarios in their different lights. The production is incredible. Even the sound alters as you play with your viewing, picking up the noises of what you're watching.
This is an ad that could only been done online due to the interactivity of it, and whilst that may limit its distribution, it's so engrossing and re-watchable that SPP aren't going to have a hard time developing strong brand equity from it. The message is inherently positive too, and one that most will warm to. My only critique is that SPP should have sorted the rest of its brand out before launching this incredible ad. Their site is dreary and boring in comparison, and even contains links to 404'd pages - not great for those who go on to try and learn more about the company.
It's not the most original concept for an interactive ad - some may remember Honda's The Other Side ad about this time last year - but it's a slice of online creative finesse nonetheless.
Watch the ad by heading to the Earth 2045 site.