Ginormous Insurance Agent Shows His Huge Heart

A 15-foot-tall insurance agent may sound like the stuff of nightmares. But never fear! Dude’s got a huge heart in his massive chest, and he’s dedicated to helping folks as he saunters around town.

Check out the beneficent behemoth in this :60 from Desjardins Insurance of Canada:

Well, that was goofy. But in a laid back, likable way we don’t usually associate with the category. Plus, the giant seems like a chill fella. Plus, he can write you a home or car policy. Just in case he accidentally does some damage with those size 47 feet.

So, what’s the big idea?

“Now, more than ever, being gentle and caring is a choice, and Desjardins has a 120-year history as a caregiver. We just needed to remind people of this fact,” Bruce Harris, creative director at Bleublancrouge, which developed the work, tells Muse.

“To do this, we brought the large insurance company to life by creating a feel-good character that lives in and takes care of the every-town with its timeless characters and rhythms. A town which is anchored in a world that isn’t much different than our own,” Harris says. “He not only charms and makes you smile but also puts his neighbors at ease because he has the scale and strength to make a positive impact in their lives.”

CGI was kept to a minimum, and the commercial benefits from a wealth of practical techniques.

“We used regular-size props and rigs that our actor could easily move and maneuver,” Harris says. “For example, we custom built a smaller-sized bus rear-end with mirrors instead of windows to integrate the reflections in post.”

What other in-camera tricks did you use?

“Forced perspective—which meant every scene needed to be shot a number of times at different focal lengths,” he says. “This made the shoot very technical and painstaking, but well worth the extra effort.”

“We also used practical props like a child’s bed, a tiny alarm clock, a mini baseball and an extremely large coffee cup. These were seemingly small details that made a big difference in creating that realistic look we were going for.”

CREDITS

Creative Agency: Bleublancrouge
Executive Creative Directors: Chris Dacyshyn, Julie Markle
Creative Director/Writer: Brandon Tralman-Baker
Creative Director/Art Director: Bruce Harris
Senior Account Director: Julie Wierzbicki
Account Manager: Nick Lambier
Head of Strategy: Jenn Green
Senior Strategist: Alec Pavlich 
Director of Production/Producer: Camielle Clark

Production: Partners Film
Partner/EP: Aerin Barnes
Director: Joachim Back
Director of Photography: Chris Mably
Producer: Neil Bartley

Editing: Rooster Post Production
Editor: Marc Langley
Partner/EP: Sam MacLaren
Assistant Editor: Sonny Atkins

Post: Darling VFX & Colour
Set Supervisor/Lead VFX Artist: Paul Binney
Set supervisor/CG Artist  – Lev Bravo 
VFX Artist  – Lauren Rempel 
Colourist – Kassi Bellamy 
Executive Producer:  Stephanie Hickman
Executive Producer: Cheyenne Bloomfield 

Music: Vapor Music
Audio CD: Joey Serlin
Executive Producers: Kailee Nowosad / Kat Stewart
Composer: Ethan Mentzer