Why This Canadian Bank Declared the World Your Oyster
If you’re a regular english speaker, you’ve undoubtedly heard the expression ‘the world is your oyster’ at some point. Promising the potential of unlimited possibility, and maybe a beautiful pearl in the middle (with a little bit of luck), this fun adage sends a nice, hopeful message that truly, with the right means, anything is possible.
Of course, ‘right means’ is an operative term. And in a literal sense, making the world one’s oyster is obviously easier said than done. Travel is expensive, logistics can be annoying, not everyone has enough vacation days… you get the point.
However, in spite of this, Canadians still love to travel. In fact, the ambition to vacation remains a strong priority for many people within the country, which is something that financial services corporation CIBC is keenly aware of. So, when it released its new CIBC Aventura Visa card - which is specifically designed to enable flexible travel - it seemed like the right opportunity to literally celebrate the possibility of making the world one’s oyster.
Working with partner creative agency Courage and celebrated director Mark Zibert, the result was the creation of ‘The World Is Your Oyster’, a campaign which sees travellers around the world enjoying oysters in every way possible - from trying family recipes to shopping for pearls in Dubai. It’s fun, fast, action-packed, and sends a hopeful message that truly, with CIBC, travel has never been easier.
To learn more about just what it took to bring this to life, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Courage associate creative directors Zuheir Kotob and Jason Soy, and CIBC’s VP of business partner marketing, Angela Sarino, for a chat.
LBB> This campaign was designed to emphasise CIBC’s decision to priorities travel. Why is this position important to the brand?
Angela> Our purpose as a bank is to help our clients make their ambitions real – whether that is buying a home, investing for the future, or simply spending time with family and friends. To this end, the ambition to travel also remains strong for many Canadians. Our research shows that despite higher costs of living, travel continues to be a favourite activity for Canadians because they’re not willing to give up on destination vacations.
LBB> With that in mind, what was the brief for this campaign, and what immediate ideas came up?
Angela> Simply put, we wanted a campaign that showed Canadians that no matter how they liked to travel, the flexibility of the CIBC Aventura Visa card will help them do that.
Zuheir & Jason> Unlike other travel rewards cards that put restrictions on how you enjoy your points, destinations, flights, and time of year you can travel, the CIBC Aventura card has flexible points that let you travel where you want, how you want, and when you want.
You can dramatise these benefits in so many different ways, so we played with all kinds of concepts - from multiverses to the secret life of passports. Ultimately, we were searching for an idea that was simple, memorable, and true to the brand.
LBB> Specifically, playing with the classic ‘the world is your oyster’ figure of speech and then doubling down is super fun! How did this come to pass, and what made this the right creative approach?
Zuheir & Jason> The following is an accurate retelling of how we came up with the idea:
Jason: So, we have to say, ‘you can do anything, go anywhere, anytime’.
Zuheir: Yeah. Basically, the world’s your oyster.
Jason: …That’s pretty good. Write it down.
Zuheir: Maybe we take that saying and we bring it to life literally. Use all the different ways people enjoy oysters to showcase all the different ways people enjoy travel.
Jason: …I like that. Can you write that script and add my name to the credits?
In all seriousness, when we landed on this idea, we knew it was a smart articulation of the brief. And as we started writing the script, we quickly knew that we could bring this campaign to life in a loud, energetic way that captures the excitement of travel while laddering up to the premium brand the CIBC team has built over the years.
Angela> We loved the concept almost instantly! The authentic connection of people enjoying oysters – or pearls, or jewellery, or art about pearl jewellery – together with the opportunity for vivid travel visuals provided an instant delivery of our intended message of travel flexibility with CIBC Aventura. And, it also provided a good range of travel styles.
LBB> Let’s talk about the planning process, as filming people around the world interacting with oysters is no small task. Logistically, how did this come to life?
Zuheir & Jason> True to the idiom, we wanted to capture how the CIBC Aventura card opened up the whole world for travellers. So, logically, we had to show glimpses from different corners of the globe.
At the same time, we wanted to depict the different adventures people can enjoy. From taking in cultures, trying local foods, shopping around the world, to doing nothing and being pampered poolside. That informed the main beats of our script.
LBB> From here, what was the writing process like? Did you leave it fairly open to see what happened at each shoot?
Zuheir & Jason> We scripted the major beats, but left things loose to allow the director, the cast, and sometimes the location itself to surprise us. That’s why we specifically wanted to collaborate with Mark Zibert on this one, who’s known for spontaneously picking up a camera, going off script, and capturing moments we couldn’t have planned for.
LBB> With that in mind, can you expand a bit more on your decision to work with Mark?
Zuheir & Jason> We’ve been fans of Mark for years, and have heard great things about his approach to filmmaking - he shoots fast, and he shoots a lot. We had always envisioned the edit to have tonnes of footage and cuts to really encompass the world. Plus, we wanted this piece to be packed to the brim with energy and eye candy. So, with that in mind, Mark was a perfect fit.
LBB> Showcasing people interacting with oysters is a unique task. How did you find the cast, and how did you approach capturing them in a natural, authentic way?
Zuheir & Jason> During casting, we gave everyone the same direction: show us how you eat an oyster, show us how you have a good time while travelling with others, and show us how you dance.
We didn’t have any dancing scenes scripted, but through that direction, we were able to see who was comfortable in their own skin on camera. That led to casting people who were authentic and naturalistic in their performances.
LBB> Do you have any anecdotes from on set and your travels? As a whole, how did shooting go?
Zuheir & Jason> We were lucky enough to not just get to make this spot, but to also live it firsthand - travelling to exotic destinations and exploring what different places had to offer. And we did it with an amazing group of clients, production staff, and our agency Courage. It was a blast.
LBB> The accompanying music also sets the tone perfectly. Who did you work with on this aspect, and how did you settle on the soundtrack?
Jason> Knowing it’s a story about travel, we tried tracks from literally every part of the world: French ballads, Bollywood songs, you name it. Ultimately, we wanted an energetic track to drive the edit, but also capture the joy of travelling the world.
Zuheir> I tried getting ‘Didi’ by Cheb Khaled on this, but our CCO, Dhaval Bhatt said no. I rolled my eyes. But then when we heard the ‘Tutto Okey’ track, I stopped rolling my eyes. It was the right call.
LBB> What was the post process like? How did you approach creating a cohesive edit that really sold the narrative in a strong way?
Zuheir & Jason> We were very fortunate to have Graham Chisholm of Nimiopere on this edit. He had a lot of footage to sift through - seven cameras worth of footage actually - which had everything from staged vignettes to underwater shots to oyster POV cam and more. Graham and his team pulled out the best bits and experimented with transitions to link scenes together while telling a linear story.
Overall, we wanted the film to have peaks and valleys, bursts of energy when you least expected it, and surprises along the way. So a lot of that was sitting in a dark room together, rejigging shots, eating takeout, trying new sequences, and adding and removing scenes until we were excited enough with the edit to show our moms.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?
Angela> With so many vignettes used to maintain energy and deliver our message, selecting a single location and organising on screen talent to look as though we travelled the globe were probably our most significant production challenges. Thankfully Courage and its production partners were so attuned to the needs of the project, our budget and our timeframe that our Santiago location was an easy choice.
LBB> What lessons have you learned from the making of this campaign?
Zuheir & Jason> Keep writing scripts that open on a beach. Eventually, one of them will pay off.
Angela> There are only so many oysters a person can eat during a 90-minute shoot!
LBB> Since launch, how have people reacted to this campaign?
Angela> We have received a very positive response to the campaign, including a real lift in our CIBC Aventura card holders, as well as an overall lift in our social media engagement numbers.
LBB> Finally, is there a shot in this campaign you’re particularly proud of?
Zuheir & Jason> It’s got to be the Japanese fish market scene with the traveller walking through the hustle bustle with that look of wonder. It captures the essence and energy of this campaign perfectly.
Angela> That’s like asking us to choose a favourite child! But seriously, one of the beautiful parts of this creative is that all scenes work collectively to land the idea. However, the juxtaposing of our scene featuring the off-the-beaten-path Jamaica street-side vendor versus the jewellery store in Dubai, versus the close up of Johannes Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ really drives home the message that with CIBC Aventura, truly, the world is your oyster!
