What is a bathtub doing on display? Where did the tap elevated to the status of an elegant sculpture come from? In its new campaign aimed at customers in Poland, the REUTER shop takes us to an art gallery, a place of contemplation and beauty, where, amidst paintings, visitors can view works of applied art. The protagonists of the campaign are the bathroom fittings and lighting available in the shop’s offer, which remind us that we can enjoy top-quality design every day, in our own homes. How did you come up with such an original approach to the subject? We talk to the people who worked on the campaign and they proved that it is worthwhile to go beyond the usual framework.
REUTER.COM is one of Europe’s largest online shops specialising in bathroom furnishings, lighting and interior design elements. Today, it offers top brands from all over the world. Many of them, such as the Italian fittings manufacturer MARINER on an exclusive basis. It is safe to say that REUTER is an “online design gallery”, where ordinary interior design elements are treated like objects of applied art. A bold claim the brand confirms in its new campaign. Take a look at the video:
This short clip can be seen on the Polish Internet and television since the beginning of October. The Polish branch of REUTER, based in Warsaw, is behind its creation. The brand opted for a bold creative concept that could be successfully broadcast in other countries. Instead of realising it in an ordinary studio, it chose the representative interior of the University of Arts building in Poznań. The setting fitted perfectly into the planned concept, without involving artificial intelligence and without building the scenery from scratch. Behind the bold production is a story full of inspiration and collaboration. The creators of the campaign talk about how the vision was born and who was behind its realisation.
Kamil Białas: The motif of viewing REUTER products through the prism of art appeared already in the brief. Where did the idea come from to placethe bathroom fittings in a real gallery? Next to paintings and sculptures? After all, these are everyday objects.
Weronika Stasiak Project Manager LUCKYYOU: Our first encounter with the REUTER product portfolio brought us one thought – even the most functional interior fittings can be simply beautiful. So the starting point became what can be described as applied art. Natalia Majchrzak and Maciej Karolczak, the copywriting duo, and Kacper Krysiak, Head of Creative at LUCKYYOU, took this seed of inspiration and helped it grow into a fully-fledged campaign. In it, we put the emphasis on art. We changed the utilitarian context of the bathroom, into the artistic context of the gallery. Just as Marcel Duchamp did in 1917 with his ‘Fountain’.
Marto, the campaigns of the various companies I have seen so far have shown the product in a natural, domestic environment. However, you have decided to move away from the usual patterns. How did you react to the suggestion of recording in an art gallery? Didn’t the idea seem… strange?
Marta Trepczyńska Marketing Manager at REUTER Polska: Strange? Totally not! It was a relief to see something so different. The reference to art is something that suits REUTER very well, and such an expectation also resounded in our brief. What we didn’t completely guess, however, was how far they would go with it, what they were preparing. The LUCKYYOU team took our suggestions very literally, with the result that they didn’t so much juxtapose our products with art as put them in an art gallery. We could not have imagined a better execution of this task.
However, before this happened, you had to choose a team to work with. What criteria were key for you?
Mikołaj Olczyński, Graphic Designer in the REUTER Polska team: Before inviting the agency to cooperate with us, we reviewed the portfolio of various companies. We wanted their projects to be original, high quality and aesthetically pleasing. We liked three agencies, but I had a feeling we would still choose LUCKYYOU. Their portfolio is full of projects that, graphically as well as in terms of content, fitted perfectly with our vision for the campaign.
The agency prepared the concept and you could already say “we got it!”?
Mikołaj Olczyński: The LUCKYYOU project was simply the perfect response to our brief. We made it clear in the brief that we dreamed of combining our products with art, and the LUCKYYOU proposal exceeded our expectations. We received a very well-designed, original and thoroughly thought-out concept that each of us immediately fell in love with.
Marta Trepczynska: During the presentation of the concept, the surprise was considerable, but positive. My first thought was: how different, how fresh! This reaction, especially from people in our team with many years of experience in the industry, was particularly important to us. They had seen everything. Everything but the bathtub in the art gallery! (laughs).
You submitted a detailed brief and just a few weeks later you received a ready-made creative concept. What was the further cooperation like – as smooth as if you had been speaking the same language from the start?
Marta Trepczyńska: We share a very similar style of work, competence and ambition, so we were rather unanimous. We listened to each other. The real test of our compatibility was a day on the set, where for 11 hours we had to efficiently realise and accept the resulting materials. The day was extremely demanding and yet we all came out smiling.
Michale, you realised the shoot in the former Railway Station building. It is a historic, pre-war building, which is the main seat of the University of Arts in Poznań. How did you arrange the interior?
Michal Oziewicz MISHKA, director: Building a set is always a multi-stage process. After the first reconnaissance and discussion of the storyboards, we determined how the space should support the narrative of the campaign. There were already some design elements in the University of Arts gallery, which set designer Monika Mączyńska creatively adapted, giving the whole thing a unique character with the products in the spotlight.
We also took care of the copyright – new images were created especially for the ad, making the space not only functional but also fully tailored to our needs. The set design was ready in advance, which gave the cinematographer, Filip Marek, time to pre-light and create cinematic, believable lighting.
What technical or logistical challenges did you face during the shoot? After all, the historic space differs from comfortable recording studios, whose look can be freely shaped.
Michal Oziewicz: From the beginning, I had a clear vision of how to combine the character of the gallery with the needs of the campaign. We made the most of the potential of this interior. The biggest technical challenge was the height of the room, which prevented the classic suspension of lighting, but we managed it. We managed to complete the shoot as planned, and seemingly unusual elements, such as the bathtub, became a natural part of the set design and fitted perfectly into the narrative of the campaign. Together with producer Michal Rachlewicz (MISHKA), we made sure the whole process ran smoothly and within budget.
Łukasz, where will it be possible to see the effects of your collaboration?
Łukasz Bertram, REUTER Polska: You can already see these effects both online and in the outdoor space. We have planned to broadcast TV spots and sponsor billboards, as well as a presence on digital screens, citylights and billboards. We will also publish material on social media, YouTube, websites and selected industry portals. This is a wide range so that our message will be present in multiple channels simultaneously.
Marto, REUTER.COM is a global brand. Do you think your campaign will reach the company’s branches in other countries?
Marta Trepczynska: REUTER serves all of Europe, although it does not have representation and headquarters in every country. The ones they have – France, Switzerland, Italy and us, Poland of course – are markets that are a little different and have different needs. On the other hand, I think our campaign could be successfully adapted to other countries. The markets are different, but everyone is sensitive to beauty and likes to surround themselves with quality and class. If there is such a request from our Head Office or colleagues in other countries, we will certainly share the results of our work. My impression is that it could work particularly well in Italy or France. It would be great to find out. But for now, look out for us on Polish TV and the web!
We write more about the products that took part in the campaign in the article HERE.
source: REUTER, compiled by editors
Read also: Interiors | Apartment | Bathroom | Single-family house | Detail | whiteMAD on Instagram
Sponsored article.
