In order to promote the latest vaccine rollout for children in Québec, creative agency Cossette called on director Olivier Staub (represented by Great Guns in USA, UK & Asia) to craft new campaign ‘Grimaces’, where kids show Covid-19 who’s boss.
Opening at a seventh birthday party, the film depicts the birthday girl surrounded by her friends. Suddenly, the girl looks straight into the camera and scowls as terrifyingly as she can. A boy leaping into the arms of an old relative and another being hugged by his sports team follow the same protocol. Directed by Olivier Staub, the film pairs drama with comedy and playfulness. Funny faces in super slow-motion, tracked with an epic score from Paul-Etienne Cote makes one warning cinematically clear - vaccination has begun and Covid-19 should be more scared of kids than kids are of it.
Olivier Staub, director, comments: “When I was first approached for the project, the brief was to promote the vaccination of 5-11 years olds in an epic, fun and cinematic way. That’s when the dichotomy of dramatic orchestral music and extreme slow motion hit me. Suddenly, it all made sense: kids giving it their all to scare the shit out of Covid-19. This led to playful storytelling that conveys our message entertainingly without becoming over-dramatic.”