The three spots above are the winning pieces for a Channel 4 "Superhumans wanted" competition helping to promote the 2016 Paralympics. Each ad is a continuation of Maltesers’ 'Look on the light side’ campaign and inspired by real-life stories from disabled people.
The ads depict awkward moments shared amongst friends but with a strong sense of humour. In one, a woman with cerebral palsy discuses an embarrassing, but ultimately rewarding moment with her new boyfriend. In another, a woman in a wheelchair tells the story of running over the bride’s foot at a wedding and the third shows a deaf woman describing how a dog swallowed her hearing aid.
Mill Colourist Seamus O’Kane explains; "First and foremost these spots are about real people in natural settings dealing with the humorous, slightly embarrassing trivia, that we can only share with good friends.
The lighting structure from DOP Dan Bronks had no intentions to glamourise the actors but instead sought to place them firmly in the reality of everyday.
The grade was also built on this premiss but we allowed the intricate art direction to exist as a vibrant tonal background to the performance. The careful use of saturated tones gives the spots a weight that polishes without looking forced and the viewer can enjoy the comedy without feeling anything interferes with the reality.
These delightful spots are memorable for their ordinariness and revolutionary in their extraordinariness. A real pleasure to be involved in."