Sanex on air with 100 dancing ‘skin cells’ wearing flesh coloured underwear

Behind the scenes footage showing healthy skin cells dancing can be seen at www.sanexskin.com

11th January 2007

The new Sanex ‘Living Skin’ advertising campaign is now live on UK television screens, with unique shots of human bodies as skin cells www.sanexskin.com, moving and imitating skin’s natural processes. The advert and behind the scenes footage can be viewed online at www.sanexskin.com

"100 professional dancers spent three days on set learning how to collectively behave like healthy skin www.sanexskin.com, visually demonstrating how Sanex works actively with the skin,” says Sam Deasy Brand Director, Sanex. “The result is a powerful visual illustration that captures the complex wonders of our healthy skin in a natural, human way."

Professional dancers with a broad range of skin and hair types were selected for the shoot, produced by AMV BBDO. Cuban dance choreographer Alex Verona worked with the 100 dancers to conceptualise dance routines imitating skin’s mesmerising natural processes.

“Each dancer was given flesh-coloured underwear, matched closely with their skin, to appear as much as possible like skin cells - but at the same time maintain some privacy,” says Alice Hunter AMV BBDO. “The huge amount of lighting on set made it very warm and completely comfortable to be dancing in your underwear. However, when practicing routines, each ‘skin cell’ had the option of slipping comfortably into their own dressing gown.”

The shoot took place at Pinewood studios, on the same set that was used for the recent Charlie and Chocolate Factory remake. The resulting four adverts were directed by Lucy Blaksted. The commercials took three days to shoot, however, the project as a whole took almost a year to undertake.

“We shot the footage directly opposite the James Bond, Casino Royale set, which unfortunately had fallen victim to a fire a few days before,” adds Sam Deasy Brand Director, Sanex. “We operated a closed set, to protect our ‘ skin cells’ from unwanted attention.”

45 crewmembers in total were on set, including Carpenters, four skin airbrush artists and cameramen. Divers were also on call to film skin cells underwater and ensure the pool floor was safe and even for dancers to move on.

See how the advert was made on www.sanexskin.com.

 

Sanex works with dance choreographer Alex Verona to create skin cells dance routine

Cuban dance choreographer orchestrates crowd of bare dancers to demonstrate active healthy skin

11th January 2007

Sanex teamed up with Cuban dance choreographer Alex Verona to create dance routines to bring human body ‘skin cells’ to life, as part of its new pan-European advertising campaign, 'living skin'.

""The adverts feature three different dance vignettes, visually representing how Sanex protects, hydrates and works with the skin," says dance choreographer Alex Veron. "Modern dance improvisation was used to physically represent the fact that our skin is alive and relies upon incredible natural processes to remain healthy.""

""Initial dance movements were developed in small-scale investigative workshops with 12 dancers," adds Alex Veron. "However, on shoot, 100 professional dancers featured in the group performances.""

The dance routines will feature within four TV commercials created by AMV BBDO, running in the UK, France, Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands. The first advert will run on UK television in early January.

"The creative dance routines designed by Alex Veron have been perfect in visually capturing how Sanex works actively with the skin to keep it healthy – in a natural, human way," says Sam Deasy, Brand Director, Sanex.

Details on the campaign and images and videos from the shoot can be found at (www.sanexskin.com).

 

Sanex creates video to demonstrate facts about our incredible skin

Human body 'skin cells' visually re-enact skin's natural processes

22 December 2006

Sanex has created an exclusive 'Healthy Skin' video, with human bodies acting collectively as skin cells to visually portray the natural processes of healthy, active skin.

"The purpose of this video has been to celebrate the wonder of our skin and attempt to visually capture its incredible and mesmerising natural processes," explains Sam Deasy, Brand Director, Sanex."Our skin is the largest of our body's organs, providing the physical barrier between us and the outside world - yet we typically take it for granted."

"Over 100 bare human bodies have been artistically choreographed to imitate human skin," adds Sam Deasy, Brand Director, Sanex. "Visually representing the skin's complex but fascinating processes and how Sanex formulations work to support these in a natural way."

Six Sanex facts to celebrate our incredible skin:

• Our skin is a precious envelope. Our mediator with the outside world, it receives nourishment from our body in order to remain healthy and eliminates waste, allowing gases and vapors to pass both in and out. At the same time it is a barrier that protects us from the outside world, protecting us from the elements and preventing unwanted materials from entering our body.
• Our skin is form-fitting and covers our body entirely. Its average surface for an adult is 2 sq. m (21.5 sq. ft) and its average weight 5 kg (11 pounds).
• Our skin has enemies; if its natural defenses are out of balance, the skin becomes vulnerable. Our skin defenses are weakened by water that is too hard, unsuitable cleaning agents, washing too frequently and certain external stressors such as cold and the sun. When out of balance, the skin is drier, less supple, and becomes irritated more easily.
• Our skin naturally protects us from dryness. Its invisible 'lipid barrier' stabilises our skin's pH, prevents water evaporation and fights off chemical stresses.
• Our skin's pH, near 4.6, is acidic and forms a natural protective layer. The closeness of the skin to this pH is very important as it reflects your skin's biological balance and its ability to defend itself – making it vital to use products with a pH close to that of the skin.
• Our skin needs good hydration. But this does not mean using too much water - on the contrary showers are better for your skin than long baths and it is important to dry off completely afterwards. Products which respect the skin's natural processes with formulas rich in moisturisers 'nourish' the skin to make it supple and soft.

The video has been produced as part of a pan-European communications campaign, illustrating how Sanex products work actively with the skin and the importance of this in keeping skin working to its healthy best.

The full Sanex 'Healthy skin' video, together with the online advert, 'Living Skin', can be found here (www.sanexskin.com).

 

Sanex launches new brand positioning with New Year ad campaign

Crowd of dancers mimic skin cells to demonstrate active healthy skin

11 December 2006

Sanex is set to launch a pan-European advertising, referencing people as 'living' skin cells to powerfully communicate the skin's natural processes in a human, engaging manner, underpinning Sanex's unique understanding of skin.

"The key focus for the campaign is to celebrate skin, visually illustrating its natural processes," says Sam Deasy, Brand Director, Sanex. "Sanex products work actively with the skin and the creative concepts at the core of this campaign highlight the importance of this in keeping skin working to its healthy best."

Four TV adverts, created by AMV BBDO, will run across the UK, France, Spain and the Netherlands, supported by viral digital creative, created and designed by LBi.

"Dance choreography has been used to orchestrate over 100 bare human bodies to move and imitate human skin's amazing, mesmerising processes," explains Alice Hunter, AMV BBDO. "The result is an enthralling, visual spectacle that artistically captures the complex wonders of our body's largest organ."

"The use of bodies as skin cells has allowed us to perfectly exemplify the health needs of the skin in a way that captures the imagination and inspires," adds Sam Deasy, Brand Director, Sanex.

Four commercials in total have been produced, directed by Lucy Blaksted at Pinewood Studios. The first commercial will go live on 7th January 2007; being placed on high impact TV slots to target the Sanex core demographics of 'active and organic couples'.

TV, print and outdoor advertising will be supported with viral executions online to encourage audiences to interact and deepen their engagement with the concept, adding texture and further depth to the campaign. OMD International is managing the media buying and planning for the campaign.

 

Press Contact

Graham Lee
immediate future
graham.lee@immediatefuture.co.uk
+44 (0)845 408 2031
 

Editor's Notes

About Sanex...

Sanex is a brand within Sara Lee Douwe Egberts. The international head office for Sara Lee Douwe Egberts is in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Sara Lee Douwe Egberts is a part of the Sara Lee Corporation, located in Chicago, USA. Sara Lee is active in more than 140 countries and has offices in more than 40 of them. Other brands within Sara Lee include Douwe Egberts, Pickwick, Prodent, Biotex, Kiwi, Ambi Pur, Radox and Zwitsal.