Schwartz Flavour Shots: idea explodes on the screen

What does flavour look like? How does it sound? These are the questions that inspired us to create what we describe as a ‘Sonic Flavourscape’ says the write up about a new ad for Schwartz Flavour Shots. The product is a range of herbs, spices and seasonings blended in sunflower oil; it is so flavourful that it will explode works well. But what makes the ad riveting is the execution.

Agency: Grey, London

The project bought together an eclectic collective of creative collaborators. DJ/Producer MJ Cole was approached to translate the sensation of taste into a musical composition. Film maker Chris Cairns and pyrotechnic designers, ‘Machine Shop’, then went to work turning this sound into a physical scale.

A lot of Indian FMCG brands (in the foods category) obsess over product shots and rightly so. Some brands believe that just gorgeous food shaots make for a great, riveting, memorable ad film…a film which the viewer would love to see it again and again. But such thinking from Brand Managers does not take into account that the average consumer doesn’t really care how gorgeous butter and cashew (twirling in the air in slow motion) look on the TV screen. Usually the brand and agency teams find product-window led ads interesting, not the average consumer. Unless of course the film has an idea (like the one for Schwartz) or the product shots are shot in such an extraordinarily unique manner (like some super premium chocolate brands or liquor brands do) that the ad has repeat value. Of course, if the brand is already an iconic one associated with luxury it helps even more – take a look at the Baileys Chocolate Luxe ad, for example. The Schwartz ad scores on both counts – idea and execution.