Journeys Through Time

Directing duo Les Garçons today unveil their time-warping campaign ‘Spreading Fun for 90 Years’, commemorating 90 years of Skippy, the popular peanut butter brand.

Created by production company L’Éloi for agency BBDO, the 30” spot takes audiences on a vibrant journey spanning across different decades featuring over a dozen dishes. Highlighting Skippy’s enduring presence within an ever-changing world, the fast-paced campaign showcases the dynamism of the product through numerous scenarios and mealtimes.

Working with an ambitious brief from the agency, who wanted to create a trip through time that featured period sets, props and wardrobe, Les Garçons grouped nine decades into four distinct chapters. In order to make each one as authentic and believable as possible, each section was adorned with the colours, textures and classic furnishings of the period it reflected, including the whimsical use of a lava lamp.

Les Garçons utilised a carefully planned motion controlled camera to seamlessly transition through time periods, intricately weaving the history of Skippy together before viewers' eyes. The campaign begins in a kitchen inspired by the colours of the 1930s and ‘40s, before using a match cut to transition to a groovy living room setting, packed with stylistic references to the ‘60s and ‘70s. Another match cut brings audiences to a neon-lit noodle bar, full of gadgets from the ‘80s and ‘90s, prior to landing in the present day.

Les Garçons, Directors, L’Éloi comment: “The nickname for this project was ‘Peanut Butter Everywhere, All at Once’, because at times it felt like there was just too much happening in 30 seconds. The carefully planned camera movements are what kept the concept from turning into visual chaos. What's really rewarding for us is that we have a team of people we're used to working with now, and once we articulate an initial direction, everybody just runs with it. On a really good day, we get to a point on set where we all start reading each other's minds - you ask for something, and someone has just done it. You point to something you're not sure about, and everyone starts nodding. This is the thrill of directing for us, getting into a creative flow where it feels like we're all just playing, with really amazing toys.”