With 53% of people claiming they’ve burnt in the UK*, a third of people do not apply sunscreen [1]. It’s clearly not an ingrained habit amongst us Brits. While we flock to our gardens and public parks at the merest hint of sunshine, sunscreen still equals holiday. One of the key reasons for this is simple – we don’t believe the sun in the UK warrants the same respect as the sun abroad. This belief is compounded by a number of widely accepted myths – including that you can’t burn through cloud and the sun is different from that abroad.

To grab the attention of the audience the agency has created a droll new character, Mr. Sun, who entertainingly busts these myths.

In the two quintessentially British films, our hero Mr. Sun’s baffled reaction to people’s misplaced beliefs is the catalyst to rethink their behaviour. A three-step reminder to seek shade, cover up and apply sunscreen finishes off the films with the tagline “Have more fun with the sun” encouraging Brits to enjoy the sun safely.

The film will be on TV and VOD from April 15th as well as dynamic outdoor advertising that will show live location data to reiterate that sun protection is needed at home, as well as abroad.

Directed by Mike Maguire, and produced by Outsider. Mike is best known for his short comedy films and work for brands including IKEA and GoDaddy. Mr. Sun’s character was created by award-winning VFX company Framestore and music by The Futures.

The campaign heralds a tonal shift for NIVEA SUN. Patrick Albrecht, Marketing Director of Northern Europe said; “Brits tend to believe that the sun is stronger when they’re on holiday than it is at home behind clouds. Therefore, we needed an attention-grabbing campaign that stands out from the traditional norm of families on the beach, in order to help create a new daily habit.”

Sharon Jiggins, Executive Vice President, FCB Inferno said; “The campaign is all about driving behaviour change. Our creative research showed that Brits were behaving responsibly when on holiday abroad, yet underestimating the British Sun. In a step-change from the category norm, NIVEA SUN together with Cancer Research UK, want to point out our mistakes in a humorous but also very memorable way!”

Jordi Bares, Creative Director, Framestore added; “We were briefed to create a new character that would resonate with kids and adults alike. To create Mr. Sun from scratch was an epic challenge and we rose to the occasion by creating a loveable character Brits can celebrate their love of summer with, who can also deliver the important message of the campaign.”

About Beiersdorf AG:
Beiersdorf AG is a leading provider of innovative, high-quality skin care products and has over 135 years of experience in this market segment. The Hamburg-based company has about 19,000 employees worldwide and is listed on the DAX, the German benchmark equities index. Beiersdorf generated sales of €7.1 billion in financial year 2017. Its product portfolio comprises strong, international leading skin and body care brands including NIVEA – the world’s largest skin care brand* – Eucerin, Hansaplast/Elastoplast, and La Prairie. Millions of people around the world choose the Beiersdorf brands every day for its innovative, high-quality products. Further renowned brands such as Labello, Florena, 8×4, Hidrofugal, atrix, Aquaphor, SLEK, and Maestro round off the extensive portfolio. Beiersdorf’s wholly owned affiliate tesa SE, another globally leading manufacturer in its field, supplies self-adhesive products and system solutions to industry, craft businesses, and consumers.

Credits
Brand: NIVEA
Patrick Albrecht – Marketing Director of Northern Europe
Sophie Rock – UK Marketing Manager
Lydia Wilson – UK Brand Manager
Agency: FCB Inferno
Sharon Jiggins – Executive Vice President
Kirsten Barnes – Senior Account Director
Sabrina May – Senior Account Manager
Lucie Newlan – Senior Strategist
Owen Lee – Chief Creative Officer
Ben Edwards – Creative Directors
Guys Hobbs – Creative Directors
Stephen Klinck – Copywriter
Alvaro Rivera – Art Director
Nikki Chapman – Head of Broadcast & Executive Producer
Rosie Doherty – Producer
Livvy Tidd – Project Manager
Sarni Strachan – Senior Designer
Rich Bagley – Head of Studio

VFX: Framestore
Creative Director – Jordi Bares
VFX Supervisor – David Watson
2D Lead – Leo Costa
Grading – Steffan Perry
2D Shoot Supervisor – Jason Farrow
Senior Producer – Anna MacDonald
Production Assistant – Molly Haviland

Production House: Outsider
Mike Maguire – Director
Steve Elgar – Producer
Richard Packer – Executive Producer
Matt Chodan – Editor (Gorilla)

Audio: Post-Production
Ben Gulvin – Sound Engineer – 750 mph
John Canon – Music Supervisor – Mr. Pape

Tags:
Cancer Research UK, sunscreen, British, Fcb Inferno, NIVEA, Nivea Ads, Nivea Campaigns, Nivea Sun, Best Tv Commercials , Inspiring Short Films, Best Commercial Ads, Best TV Ads