Panadol: The Carseat
GSK owned pain relief brand Panadol were looking for a 20” and 30” TV commercial for their Extra Advance paracetamol.
Working alongside Flipside Group, we produced a single shot TVC demonstrating the need for superior pain relief when faced with a headache and a small child.
For this spot, Panadol were looking to show an authentic and true to life ad that was relatable to the everyday parent, who likely will all have experienced contending with both a painful headache and a small child with constant chatter. This ad therefore needed to show recognition of the fact that parenting is difficult at the best of times and that even the most resilient parent may struggle to be at their best with a painful headache thrown in.
Director Robin Mason has vast experience garnering natural performances from talent both adult and child, and for this film we pitched with him a single shot film to create an observational documentary feel to allow the audience to be dropped into what should feel like a real-life moment.
In keeping with the authentic and documentary style, natural light was key to ensuring we preserved a film that felt real to the audience.
We made the decision to shoot without the child on set, meaning actor Sarah Goggin worked with just an audio edit of our child talent and a rather terrifying doll in the carseat in front of her for eyeline. Shooting multiple takes for both durations over the course of a fantastically sunny day in Orpington meant we got the lovely daylight we hoped for and allowed us to realise Robin’s vision of a genuine feeling performance for the film, rehearsing throughout the day until the perfect afternoon light appeared.
