UNILEVER (CLEAR) | BULLISH BOSS | 2017
Stress Turns Into White Flecks Falling Down / CLEAR "BULLISH BOSS"
A boss works himself into a rage until he finally shrinks down into a tiny white speck falling onto his own hair. With black-and-white footage and the physical language of butoh dance, this ad lands the message "stress causes dandruff" in one single image.
The insight
How do you communicate the medical fact that stress causes dandruff? Instead of explaining it, they chose to let people visually experience it.
The idea
Using the physical expression of Japan's avant-garde dance form butoh, the black-and-white film depicts an explosion of stress. The boss, trembling with anger, shrinks smaller and smaller until he finally becomes a "white fleck" sitting on his own hair — a visual metaphor for dandruff. Another film called "Bridezilla" was made with the same concept.
What happened
The campaign won Gold in the Health & Wellness category at the 2017 Cannes Lions. That said, it reportedly sparked mixed reactions within the industry.
Afterthought
Honestly, no matter how many times I watch this film, it pulls me right in. Using the physical art of butoh to make the invisible link between stress and dandruff visible is a simple idea, but a powerful one. It's a shame there isn't more information to share in detail — but I'd rather you just enjoy discovering the video for yourself.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2017
