Ex JDA Perth creative Jason Schragger takes Mini Countryman on a magical ride through Italy
Getting from A to B in the new MINI Countryman is where the trueadventure lies. In this film, BSUR, Amsterdam demonstrates the versatility of theCountryman by showing every way you can get to B, all at once. The MINIsplits from 1 to 2 to 5 to 100 and eventually it reaches itsdestination on the back of a ferry with a lot of adventures along theway.
The MINI team is headed by Zimbabwe born, Aussie raised creativedirector Jason Schragger, who started his advertising career at JDA in Perth. The team found the solution to the creativechallenge by creating a classic piece of cinema filled with high-techcomputer-generated and cutting-edge film technology.
The solution, shot in downtown Milan and Lake Como, Italy, is the new”Flow” commercial, which highlights the versatility of the MINICountryman. The spot dramatically demonstrates that getting from PointA to Point B can be done any way you want. The journey is the adventure.
Tohighlight this, “Flow” shows every passage possible, all at once. Toachieve the effect, BSUR worked with director Brian Beletic and SwayStudios in Culver City, California. Using Sway’s technology, the teamwas able to shoot real cars and mix them with computer-generated (CG)cars. The CG cars were driven in the same way as the real thing.
SaysSchragger: “Flow takes the viewer on a ride from inner city tocountryside Italy filled with fun and adventure. Experience theversatility of the perfect car for a getaway – the new MINI Countryman.Alongside “Flow”, six new 15-second idents have also been developed.The MINI Countryman has the same MINI values and the short idents arethe best way to get that feeling across.”
From quick getaways totrips in the snow, each of the 15-second spots lets the viewer in onone more feature. There are Sushi chefs to explain the centre rail, awall of snow for 4-wheel drive, a child that needs to pee urgentlynicely gets the idea of 4 doors across, as does, of course, astewardess.
The short idents were shot by Swedish directorRobert Jitzmark in London, and will run internationally at varioustimes through the launch phase.
Schragger(left) was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe but left for Australia in theearly 80’s. He started his advertising career in Perth and stayed therefor a few years until receiving a call from BBH and took a job inSingapore.
He worked on Levis Japan and Johnnie Walker andthen at 27 was asked to be Executive Creative Director of LoweWorldwide Singapore. In the first 18 months they became the number oneranked agency in Singapore with Gold Lion winning work on Ikea and anumber of awards for Nestle and a national radio station.
In2003, he moved to Amsterdam to take up residence as the CreativeDirector at StrawberryFrog. 5 years later came a move to Berlin forPlantage Berlin where he worked with MINI and Universal Music.
When MINI moved to Amsterdam he moved with them and is now International Creative Director for BSUR.
4 Comments
Don’t know why no one’s commenting on this, (maybe it’s because only the old timers remember Jas) but this is awesome stuff, well done!
1.19pm
We’re not here to celebrate success but to revel in failure. In fact, if we were collectively to start an agency it would probably be called Schad & Freude
I love that ad. Jas is the man. I’m envious as I sit here doing another bloody 20×4 press ad and look forward to a shoot somewhere near Cocccckburn next week.
Mmmmm I love Lake Como
This is brilliant!