Illy Coffee

This amazing spot for the Italian coffee giant won a Golden Lion at Cannes.

In March 2006 we joined forces once again with Italian producer Fred Turchetti to create our most lavish commercial yet. The company behind it was Italian luxury coffee brand Illy in collaboration with renowned German director Matthias Zentner. In 5 days we shot 14 ambitious scenarios: from a couple dancing across a lake, fire-breathers amidst the ruins of an ancient Brahman temple, women floating gracefully like flowers under water, or a man shouting in a storm of feathers.

The creative work was well worth it, and "Illy - Beauty has a taste" won a Golden Lion at Cannes in 2006. The judges apparently remarked that the commercial went against almost every precept of good advertising - and yet, it is so beautifully made, that they could not hold back from giving it the Golden Lion it deserves.

Beyond the creative efforts put into the spot, the on-the-ground production logistics were daunting. If nothing else, we had a huge location and casting challenge on our hands. The brief contained everything from high-rise cityscapes to pristine beaches. But we did manage to find a perfect spot for every scenario .

The casting department faced an entirely different challenge: Rather unusually, for a project coming to Thailand, Illy had asked for an all Caucasian cast. 20 models and actors needed to be found and Matthias Zentner was looking for special talent - from fire breathers to ballet dancers. In the end, we pulled off this creative feat.