Hi hi, let’s get some exclusive intel on advertising, shall we?
Consider this a recap of Ad Makers’ Q&A. For those of you who are new to our content, we are Good Ads Matter, a celebration of Good Ads and Ad Makers alike. Our on-going segment, as you now know of as the ‘Ad Makers’ Q&A’, is a weekly online collaboration with the makers of the ad themselves– a participatory activity where you get to ask them questions directly in the comment section and have an exciting and meaningful one-on-one conversation!
A while ago, we picked Nike’s recent ad, ‘Warmth Center’ for the segment, the exclusive D’Cut, if you will, and invited Director Henry Scholfield to be our guest. Although we had to take it down from all our social media platforms due to a harmless discrepancy, we thought it unfair to deprive you of the invaluable pieces of advice from the man himself.
Before digging in, let’s take a look at the ad, and learn a little more about the Director. You are going to love it.
The Art.
The Artist.
Henry Scholfield, easily among the top Commercial and MV Directors on the global forum, is the mastermind behind Dua Lipa’s record-breaking single, ‘New Rules’, and Coca-Cola’s ‘Masterpiece’ that took the industry by storm upon release. Some of his other commercials like ‘The Flow’ for Gojek, ‘The Dream’ for Expedia and ‘The Walk’ for Axe have also been subject to high praise and ceaseless applause.
Visit his website here and take a moment to fully immerse yourself in the brilliance of his work. Yeah, you can only imagine our excitement having him on board with us.
Segueing back to the Q&A…
Nike’s new apparel is popping warm, breathable warm, protective warm, all kinds of warm! This spot takes us through the infallible trials it undergoes to come out victorious against the scrutiny of Nike Warmth Center. With absolutely brilliant art direction and cinematography, this ad teleports us wholly to the world of Nike that Scholfield has created. The groovy beats in sync with the melodramatic VFX together do not spare a moment for us to take our eyes off the screen!
Here are a few questions you asked, and we were fortunate enough to hear the answers from Scholfield himself!
User: Hi hi, Henry, this is insanely good! I read in an interview that it all started for you with your sister’s camcorder! From a single gadget that you unexpectedly got your hands on to creating commercials and music videos unlike any other, what’s one crucial advice you have learnt and would like budding artists to know in their journey?
Henry: Shoot shoot shoot and keep going! I mean shoot to learn, fail or succeed, it will always keep you moving forward. Then don’t give up, if you really love making things then let that feeling drive you.
User: How do you draw your inspiration for these? What are the first aspects you think about when a brand approaches you for something like this?
Henry: With a brand or agency, they’ll usually come with a concept, then I’ll start mapping random ideas and images that come into my head, which in turn comes up with other stuff. This in turn starts to take shape but I’ll try and give plenty of breathing space for mind wandering at the beginning.
User: Hi Henry, could you provide insights into the creative planning process, especially with extensive VFX involvement, and did the on-set execution differ from the initial concept? Looks incredibly cool!
Henry: We did a lot of planning and used some matte paintings onset as backgrounds to help visualise the final look as we shot. We continued to develop all through post. The final results were quite different in a good way!
User: How does one even communicate their treatment for something like this when few equivalent references exist before it’s made?
Henry: Hey. It's about mixing and matching different ref on the same page. Then some photoshop and a lot of explanation!
User: Your work is always something beyond the imagination of the audience. It has just the right amount of zest and pzazz that gets us on the edge of our seats. While ideating the flow of the narrative or even visualising how the VFX will look, when do you know it’s too much? Or perhaps still not enough? Where do you draw the line to the boundless possibilities you can play with?
Henry: Yes, good one. I guess the best way is to try and go with your instincts… being bold is one thing but if it feels wrong then maybe it is. That and surrounding yourself with smart people is also biiig plus, a trusted opinion is super important.
As humble and endearing as ever, Henry was a sheer delight to have. Still have more questions? Although the Q&A has ended, you can always reach out to us with questions and suggestions and we will try to do what we do best! Keep an eye out for more Q&A wraps and new ones every week!
Oh, it never slipped our mind. Here’s the full credit list of the talented people involved in the making of this ad. We got you ;)
Country: China
Year: 2023
Brand: Nike
Brand Creative Senior Director: Simon Lee & Che Lin
Narrative: Seven Yang, Yuling Yao, Elaine Weng & Phoenix Zhao
Creatives: Yi Qi & Diana Tang
Designers: Cyan Wang, Xiaojing Li & Cathy Shang-Kuan
Production: Kelly Zhan, Cora Liu & Monika Jiang
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Shanghai
Chief Creative Officers: Ian Toombs & Vivian Yong
Senior Producers: Iris Li & Jazzy Zhao
Head of Creative: Matt Meszaros
Creative Directors: Zhong How & Ruby Li
Creatives: Alex Litovka, Edmund Chang & Pat Cholavit
Head of Production: Fang Yuan
Production Company: Hamlet
Managing Director / Executive Producer: Yimeng Zhang
Producers: Claire Qin & Duffy Du
Director: Henry Scholfield
Director of Photography: Pat Aldinger
Art Director: A-Liang
Production Designer: Maruxa Alvar
Stylist: Cheyuan Lee
HMU: Hsuyu Hsuan
Production Manager: Winson Wang
Production Coordinator: Selene Xu
1st AD: Stella Gui
2nd AD: Yan Huo
1st AC: Terry Yan
Gaffer: Dickson Lim
Post Producer: Joy Chiang
Storyboard Artist: Vince Wei
Casting: Baiwen Zhang & Feifei Zhou
Special Props: Julius Mak
VFX: Wicked Pixels
VFX Leads: Eddie Van Rensberg & Carl Jeppe
Post Producers: Kamila Kelly, Leigh Human & Leticha Kisting
Editors: Sam Bould (UK) & Bing (Shanghai)
Colourist: Marina Starke
Music: Mr Pape
Sound Designer: Denis Kilty
Additional Sound: Adam Smyth