Leo Burnett Gets Snowed In For 37 Days

Leo Burnett's 37 Days campaign pushed the boundaries trying to get the perfect shot.

But with the support of the client and overcoming logistical problems (glass panels and cameras breaking), the spot was well worth the attention to detail.

Leo Burnett's ECD Xavier Beauregard talks to us about the difficulties and technicalities in creating the spot and how the team made such a complciated idea a reality.

Xavier Beauregard and creative Jerome Gonfond dug sleeping holes in the snow to survive the -30 degrees temperature... not forgetting the alcohol to send them to sleep!

What was the brief you received from the client?

Atlantic Group is the French leader in electric heating with three majors brands: Atlantic, Thermor and Sauter. The company offers smart heating solutions thanks to an innovative solution of connected heating. Atlantic wanted to develop a specific premium communication territory to enhance its heaters and justify a higher price.

What was the inspiration for the ad?

We wanted to create an artistic performance that demonstrates the power of heating.

How long did it take to create this ad from conception to execution?

It took approximately four months from the first discussion we had with the client until the journey to British Columbia. From the very beginning, our client was thrilled to embark on this adventure and everybody - from the President to the Sales manager - was very enthusiastic.

Why was Olivier Staub chosen to direct the spot?

We chose Olivier Staub because of his work. He has a unique style and his own way of shooting nature which was exactly what we were looking for. We were not really searching for an advertising director but rather a documentary director.

What was the most difficult part about creating the spot?

Logistics were by far the most difficult part of the project.  We struggled on the technical feasibility to create a mechanism that could allow vegetation to grow in this hostile environment. We worked with a botanist and an engineer on this side of the project.

And the most rewarding?

Our clients reaction: They had “stars” in their eyes when they first saw the film. 

How did you transport the equipment to the Canadian mountain range?

The Cube was so heavy (4 tons) that it had to be transported by a double rotor helicopter. Though he was very experienced, the pilot confessed that he had never done something that difficult because he just didn’t have any visual cues on the white snow! It took half a day to transport The Cube at 2,400 meters above the sea, one of the roof’s glass panes broke when we settled and had to be replaced.

How did you film The Cube during the 37 days on location and did you have to use specialist equipment?

A small team was on-site for the entire duration of the project to film the whole performance and take care of the installation. Five different cameras were used to film different angles of the experiment - from the outside, from the inside and to create a time lapse. A few cameras froze due to the cold temperatures (-30 °celsius) and had to also be replaced.

After filming for such a long period of time, what were the challenges in cutting the story to just three minutes?

It was quite easy in fact as we had a pretty clear vision from the beginning that this project would be a 3-minute film, though we wanted to film the different phases of the experiment to have the whole project on film. We knew we would only save the best to recreate an emotional experience that is moving to people, reminding them the power of heat in our lives.