Alexander Reiss Talks Robots and Vacuums

A clean, dust-free home without having to do any vacuuming – this is now possible thanks to the Kobold VR200 vacuum robots by Kobold (part of Vorwerk).

To give the company a helping hand in spreading the word, Saatchi & Saatchi Düsseldorf has developed a launch campaign. It launches today with a TV spot online films, display ads, digital content, social media ideas, literature and retail marketing strategies for Vorwerk’s own shops.

The focus of the campaign is the story of a small, clumsy toy robot that falls in love with the extremely accurate Kobold robot vacuum. Under the direction of Jamie Rafn, the story has been realised by production company Smuggler.

Below, Saatchi & Saatchi Düsseldorf  ECD Alexander Reiss provides further insight into the innovative campaign and its two lovable characters.

Tell us a bit about the client/product…

The German company Vorwerk is one of the leading manufacturers of premium vacuum cleaners and cleaning solutions in the world. Vorwerk sells directly to consumers through advisors, shops and on-line.

The new Kobold VR 200 is currently the most advanced vacuum cleaning robot in the category. It´s not a toy nor a gadget that bounces around the room and cleans randomly. It´s a proper vacuum cleaner that manages to clean even the hard to reach areas, thanks to unique features like laser navigation for example.

And what was the brief?

The brief was to take the Kobold VR200 out of the niche of robot vacuum cleaners out to a larger audience of modern, urban households that rely on technology in other parts of their daily lives. These people might be aware of robot products but still think they are not proper vacuum cleaners. The task was to invite them to think differently while demonstrating all the functionalities of the new product. But for that, we have to seduce them first and open their heart to our story.  

Where did the idea come from to base the love story on a robot?

When we were invited to this pitch I asked my EMEA boss John Pallant to run a tribe with me - it's a Saatchi & Saatchi tool to generate ideas in a concentrated process. We were working as an art director/copy writer team on this and we remembered that our planner Oliver Loh told us that people feel about a cleaning robot like a family member or a pet because it seems to have a life of its own. So we asked ourselves, who could fall in love with a new member of the household?

How hard was it to find the right robot toy design?

We did a lot of research and worked closely with Jamie and his crew from Smuggler to ensure we created a traditional retro robot that would trigger an emotional response from the viewer. Smuggler bought in Jed Clarke who came up with lovely proposals and subtle developments in the characterisation  that gave a significant impact on our robot design. Size of body and the eyes plus his movement were discussed in detail.

Why do you think a love story between a robot and a vacuum cleaner will appeal to the target audience/consumer?

Our approach was not to show only the features of the vacuum cleaning robot. We also wanted to entertain with a rich story that has cinematic appeal, that touches and goes right to the heart. Why not a love story?

Was there anything significant about the production process that allowed your script, with all its intentions, to be realised?

We, The S&S Dusseldorf office, worked closely with Andy Gulliman in his new network role.  He was executive producer.  It allowed for the script to be introduced to a wider creative community and enabled the idea to have the full production support. Andy introduced us to Jamie and Smuggler, Electric Theatre and delivered the track that we wanted.

The music obviously works well with the piece. Was it hard to find?

We had the idea that the music should be the inner voice of this vintage robot singing a love song to the Kobold. A song that he has buried deep inside since his youth. John and I listened to more than 300 tracks. You know, when you see the first edit of a film you have a strong feeling about what fits to the story and what doesn't. We, including our director Jamie Rafn, loved the Herb Alpert track when we heard it against the film on our first day in the edit suite. We listen to 300 tracks to see if there was anything better.  We are very happy that the client shared our passion for this song. I think it's a perfect match. 

How do you pick the location for a spot like this? Would any spacious home have worked?

Not any. Because we had a long wish list of different floor situations, interior style, light situation, space etc. Smuggler found the perfect location that had the right balance between exclusivity and liveliness that represents our target group very well.

Tell us about the post production and what was the biggest challenge with executing the idea?

Jamie came up with the idea to shoot everything in camera and I immediately loved it. So Smuggler brought in Chris Lloyd and the best guys to build and operate the robot to make nearly everything happen on the shoot. So this isn't a post heavy production and a CGI based film.  It's a traditional production and I loved this ‘old school’ approach.  The post that was needed was excellently handled by Electric.  They were amazing, adding a touch of post production to enhance our robot and exaggerate his feelings.