Safely Feel The Real World short film created by Amber Shanghai and Jody Xiong wins a Grand Prix award at the China 4A Awards 2021
One of China’s top creative talents and a multi-award winners, Jody Xiong, The Nine Shanghai Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Director, Artist and Art Director has been listed as one of the top designers by Forbes China. He won China’s first Gold Design Lion in Cannes and got two Grand Prix at AdFest.
Xiong was named in the TOP 20 of Asia’s Most Awarded Creative Leaders in Campaign Brief Asia 2021 Creative Rankings. The One Show & NY ADC 2021 Director Ranking, he ranks third in the Asia Pacific. Unbelievable, he is a member of the main creative team at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, working with film master Zhang Yimou.
From January to March 2021, Xiong directed a five-minute short film at the invitation of Amber Shanghai, a cross-category collaboration between two major international brands: Volvo and Durex. The film is about a fantasy tour around ‘Safely Feel The Real World’. Which was released on White Day on March 14, 2021 and has attracted tens of millions of views and discussions in China. At the award ceremony last Friday, the short film has won a Grand Prix , two Gold and three Silver at China 4A Awards 2021. It is the most important award show in local area.
The Safely Feel The Real World film has earned its fair share of accolades across the globe. The campaign received a Wood Pencil at D&AD 2021, a Bronze Pencil and a Merit Awards at The One Show Creative Week 2021, a Bronze Cube and a Merit Awards in 100th NY ADC, a Bronze Statue at Clio Health Awards 2021, Gold Statue and Silver Statue in London International Awards 2021, Gold and Silver at AD STARS Awards 2021, Gold and Silver at Longxi Awards 2021, etc.
In China, condom ads have many restrictions: no products can appear, nor can “association elements” such as beds. To convey Durex 001 on film, Xiong and Amber Shanghai designed symbolic motifs—an invisible forcefield protecting “001 Island” and animal pairs with sexual connotations in Chinese folklore. Additionally, Volvo’s brand perception has more instantly recognizable safety associations in the Chinese market.
Durex 001 collaborated with Volvo XC40 to co-release a short film. Colored in signature Durex 001 colors (black and gold), the animation follows a couple who wakeup from a VR simulated dream and escape to a safe reality on “001 Island.” In the visual narrative between the two brands,「safety」is a sexy and apparent benefit, one that allows us to approach intimacy and embrace reality. At the most critical moment in this film, In a very original way, a glass-like stomach and a metal esophagus are used to emphasize Volvo’s strong four-wheel drive, ground grip and other safety features. During the chase, there is an invisible force field that bounces the ape off twice emphasizing the security of the extremely thin Durex 001 condom.
Launching on ‘White Lover Day’ (a Chinese holiday similar to Valentine’s Day), the film project went live for a total of seven days from March 12—19th, 2021. The film ran on the three largest social platforms in China—WeChat, Weibo and Douyin (Chinese TikTok), and was published on Durex and Volvo’s social accounts. This caused a sensation in the Chinese marketing industry where the common strategy is just to advertise directly on the selling point. A 5-minute, relatively long film gaining nearly ten million views on social media,it is a marvel.
Creative Company: Amber Shanghai
Director: Jody Xiong
Production House: The Nine Shanghai
CGI: Pafassion Lab
Music Mix: Smile Studi
TC: Node 3 Color Studio