Finger Music & YouTube Stars Tap in Early for Microsoft Campaign

In an exciting new campaign, directed by Olivier Gondry, Finger Music collaborate with m:united & Microsoft to introduce the new Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3 Tablets with a brand new beat which has been developed with viral internet pen-tapping stars, Shane Bang and Kevin Ke.

Finger’s Creative Director and Composer, Dave Hodge, was brought in from the beginning of the creative process to develop a custom composition for the brand utilising the beats created by the famous Pen Beat Battle tappers.

There are four films in the Surface Beats campaign, each with a strong focus on the product, with the aim of intertwining the snapping and clicking sounds of the tablets with the rhythmic pen tapping.

Dave Hodge, explains, “The spots were briefed from the beginning to be very rhythmic, when m:united sourced Shane and Kevin, we knew the filming would also incorporate the rhythmic movements of their hands. Being brought in at this early stage meant that we were able to get the process of the filming, edit and music to harmonise throughout the production process.”

“Over two studio days with Shane and Kevin, two tempos were chosen for the spot which were organic with the pen tapping they were doing. It was important that these were ascertained beforehand so that we could ensure the visuals of the hand movements were in complete sync with the final music and sound.”

“The editor Frank Snider was great in this respect, we developed a strict edit grid which he handled expertly to ensure the visuals matched what we wanted to achieve with the sound, which is not an easy task.”

“This campaign is truly an example of how music in advertising can be more than just an afterthought. Being involved in the creative process from the outset comes with boundless advantages in developing the final sound. We’re really proud that everyone on the project had confidence in the idea from the beginning and were happy with the overall result.”

“It was also great to get to work so closely with Director Olivier Gondry and Agency Music Producer Eric Johnson. Eric was fantastic to work with and in no way overbearing. It was great to have each other to bounce ideas off of and I think this easy flow of ideas and creative output comes across in the final films.”