J.Walter Thompson Doha teamed up with soccer player Xavier Hernandez Creus aka Xavi to produce an action packed ad for Qatar National Bank.
QNB has positioned itself as the bank that helps making your future goals become easier. This is the rationale that powered the concept for the campaign, which metaphorically portrays the removal of physical obstacles standing between you and your goals in life.
Xavi is seen doing parkour jumping here and there, breaking walls, getting from one building to another and in the process delivers keys to people - cars, homes, etc. Of course, the idea is to say that we bring your goals to life, since the soccer player turns out to be working at the bank.
It’s a spectacular ride, fast and furious, 100% adrenaline.
The athletic QNB ambassador is literally the key to success. “Having Xavi on board significantly eased the film’s production as his personality matched the script perfectly,” explained the creative team at JWT Doha. “Plus, Xavi is a world-class star, known for his passion for the game of football, with a notable lack of ego. Working with him proved to be not only enjoyable but rewarding. He brought that same passion and down-to-earth personality to the set.”
Named as the best player of the championship of Qatar in December, the renowned Spanish professional footballer currently playing as a central midfielder for Qatari club Al Sadd SC. has signed in May of last year an advertising deal with Qatar National Bank to represent it.
Bringing the brand’s message to life through the storyline relies very much on the challenging physical performance of Xavi. City Films and Director, Daniel Benmayor, did an excellent job finding exactly the right stunt actors to work with him, as well as the other cast members for the real life scenarios and location shots.
More important than all the walls being smashed, are the clichés being broken. Somehow the ad echoes the spirit of Nike and scores on many fronts.
A welcome change from bankers shaking hands, teary testimonials and faux ‘we care about your future’ copy. The film has been viewed over five million times in only seven days-YouTube and Facebook viewing combined.
Picky critics might whine about the mid-field grading and the off side typography, but who cares? The crowd is cheering. When is the next match?
Credits:
Agency: J. Walter Thompson Doha
ECD: Nicolas Geahchan
Associate CD/Art Director: Joao Troncao
Copywriter: Hossam El Gharably
Managing Director: Chady Janho
Account Director: Karim Tannir
Account Manager: Omar El Jabi
Agency Producer: Edgard Jinbachian
Director: Daniel Benmayor
Production House: City Films
Executive Producers: Marc Hadife, Joyce Hadife
