Filament Post Helps ‘Wilbur’ Deliver Free Electricity from British Gas

Wilbur, the lovable penguin from British Gas, is up to his usual antics in the latest film to air this week.

Filament Post worked closely with the director Michael Arnold of Fresh Film and OgilvyOne’s creative team to reunite with Wilbur and advertise the new customer offer from British Gas.

The new spot opens with the intrepid penguin and engineer Lee in a kitchen. Wilbur suddenly leaps from his stool and lands rather precariously on a robot vacuum below. Once balanced he’s soon whizzing around the house introducing the viewer to ways they may use their free electricity time. Wilbur’s cheeky character is even more evident as the teams have gone further in developing his personality. This latest commercial also promotes the interaction between Wilbur and Lee, adding to the viewer’s experience.

Alongside Wilbur, the robot vacuum also needed to be built in CG. To ensure that that the cleaner looked realistic, subtle rocking motions were added in reaction to Wilbur’s movement. As Wilbur travels on board it spins and turns in perfect synchronicity with his movements.

In developing Wilbur’s character the Filament team was able to present a couple of options of how he could leap onto the kitchen counter from the cleaner, before handing over his tablet. The final choice sees Wilbur sliding on his belly across the counter. This funny scene epitomises his more developed and cheeky personality.

Of this latest commercial Hani AlYousif says: “The animation team jumped at the chance to work with Wilbur again. They all cheered when they found out the brief: Wilbur surfing a robot vacuum! This would add a lot to Wilbur’s personality. He could be more curious about his environment and willing to explore anything. We’re really proud of the final result and hope everyone enjoys the film”