Havas London has created a touching new film featuring a much-loved white dress as part of a new campaign for Reckitt Benckiser brand, Vanish Gold.
The ‘love story’ works on multiple levels and passes through 50 years – you may want to have a tissue handy.
The emotive marketing campaign was created to launch the new gel variant of Vanish’s Gold Crystal White fabric whitener and stain remover.
Vanish white dress ad
Love Your Whites for Longer, devised by creative agency Havas London, dramatises the product’s remarkable whitening and stain removal ability through the generation-spanning journey of one garment, a simple white dress, and the life of its owner.
Opening on a young couple dancing in the rain at music festival in the 70s, the film proceeds through some of the major moments in their life together.
This goes from the birth of their children and family holidays through hugging the kids goodbye as they leave home.
Eventually it returns to the same couple, now in old age, dancing together again at their golden wedding anniversary.
In each scene, the woman – played throughout her life by three different actors – is wearing the same dress, which over time has faded to a dull grey before being restored to its original glory using Vanish.
It’s accompanied by the message ‘Over time your clothes lose their brightness. Brighten up your whites by 10 shades’ and ends with the line ‘Clothes live longer with Vanish’.
Multimedia campaign
The campaign comprises TV and digital executions, with OOH to follow later in the year.
It was created by Chico Barrera and Diogo Abrantes; creatively directed by Elliot Harris and Rob Potts; and directed by Matt Rhodes through Papaya Films.
“This brand has a natural purpose in the time of fast fashion and growing environmental concern”, Harris, RB Global Executive Creative Director and Creative Partner at Havas London said.
“That is to help clothes live longer lives, reducing the amount we send to landfill every year.
“Rather than lecture people, we decided to show them through an epic love story; and there’s a serious message at the heart of this feel-good spot.”
Ruxandra Ionescu, Category Manager at RB said: “It’s true. You aren’t resigned to your favourite whites fading away to a dull and disappointing shade of grey.
“The brightening agents in Vanish Gold Crystal White ensure whiter whites – by 10 shades – in just one wash; allowing you to keep on wearing the clothes you love for as long as you love them.”