Creative production agency Avocados and Coconuts recently created an energetic spot for popular organic juicery Juice Shop’s new line of sparking tonics. Directed by Matthew Palmer, 'Cheers' celebrates the playful packaging and ‘fantastically transportive’ nature of Juice Shop’s new 'drink with a purpose' with a punchy comedic take on a classic lifestyle montage.
Emphasising the transportive nature of Juice Shop’s latest range of sparkling tonics, the spot follows a couple as a normal day takes an unexpected turn when the act of 'cheersing' cans of Juice Shop tonic launches them out of their apartment and into a chaotic montage. With each subsequent clink of their cans, they are transported to different locations containing varying degrees of stress, such as getting a face tattoo or outrunning a train. Seamless transitions and intentional angles enable the viewer to experience the fast-paced energy of the spot, which ends with only one person returning safely to the apartment while the other remains trapped in the montage.
“We had such an enjoyable time working with old friends on this super fun project,” shared Charlie Gulick, founder of Juice Shop. “The playful and transformative experience expertly captured the holistic and fun nature of the Juice Shop tonics. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity and certainly the result.”
Shot in Cape Town, South Africa, the fast-paced spot serves to not only showcase Juice Shop but also a city most might overlook when scouting locations. From beaches and forests to dive bars and wellness retreats, the various locations found in the South African mecca added to the fantastic flavour of the piece. Avocados and Coconuts founder and executive producer Dalia Burde’s own familiarity and upbringing in South Africa and her network of local connections made for a smooth transition from pre-to-post-production, enabling the creative team to focus on the task at hand.
“We were very intentional with our decision-making,” says Dalia. “Taking a project from concept to execution is something we love doing and can do well, at any scale. To be able to do it for a brand like Juice Shop, who is committed to the highest quality ingredients, and has a passion for sustainability that echoes our own, made this project a real win-win for us.”
Bright colours and exciting locations weren’t the only thing at play in this multi-layered piece. Quick transitions and slick, clean camera moves serve as a throughline in which Palmer was able to construct a clever story with the genuine relatability that permeates his work.
The angles of the piece were integral to the overall look and feel of the spot: “We used smaller movements to make the piece feel big. Finding those weird upward angles – off-kilter and a little outside of the norm – gave it a more surreal quality,” says Matthew. “We leaned on the production design and sound design, as well as elements like crash zooms and VFX, to elevate the larger-than-life feel.”
Together with a local production partner, Motion City Films, Avocados and Coconuts’ experience and depth of creativity allowed them to maximize the scope of the project while staying true to the values at the heart of Juice Shop’s story.
"All of us were committed to enjoying the creation of this spot," concludes Matthew. "The trust of the client went a long way in affording us the opportunity to be playfully self-aware. We were able to poke fun at ourselves as creatives, while also showcasing the level of dedication and thoughtfulness we bring to any project, including one as light hearted as this."