David Kolbusz & Jeff Low on the New Kwiff Campaign

New betting app, Kwiff, launched its first campaign this week, through Droga5 London and with Biscuit director, Jeff Low, behind the camera.

The three-spot campaign is a clever, funny and brilliantly silly look at winning moments in life. Below, Droga5 London CCO, David Kolbusz and Low talk us through the concept and execution for the commercials.  

The first campaign involved a hidden-camera stunt - why did you decide to go down a purely narrative, filmic route for the follow-up campaign?

Kolbusz: This actually is the first campaign. The hidden camera stunt was just that – a bit of online content designed to spread and raise awareness of a brand called Kwiff. This is our first proper attempt at entertaining and educating our audience, giving them a deeper understanding of what the Kwiff app is and what it does.

Above: Kwiff Father and Son

Tell us a bit about the creative process. How did you come up with the three scenarios (and did you consider any alternatives)?

Kolbusz: We had nothing but alternatives. We probably went through about 30 scripts. The entire point of these ads is to illustrate how it feels to receive this supercharged boost to your odds when you bet.

We had to come up with the most surprising and unconventional ways of expressing joy and ran through a lot of different scenarios. The ones that won out were based on deeper human truths – be they as inconsequential as the thrill of catching a falling glass [top], to as important as winning at parenthood [above].

What was your first reaction on receiving the scripts? Why did they appeal?

Low: I liked the idea of taking a metaphor way further than it deserved to go. The team (Dave Wigglesworth and Ed Redgrave ) seemed instantly great and had great ideas. I trust David Kolbusz pretty much implicitly to add shape and contour to a thing, and to allow me to do the same.  

"Jeff looks at shooting ads like it’s a science. There are always surprises on the day – happy accidents – but there’s no guesswork."

Why was Jeff Low the right director for the job?

Kolbusz: Jeff takes a forensic approach to humour. We knew that he was going to torture test every scenario and milk it for its inherent comedy. The films are quite out there so we didn’t want to make them silly for silly’s sake.

Jeff looks at shooting ads like it’s a science. He makes animatics and times everything out in advance so you know what’s going to work going into the shoot. There are always surprises on the day – happy accidents – but there’s no guesswork.

Above: Kwiff Bedlam

The films have a surreal comedy to them – how easy was it to nail that slightly off-centre humour?

Low: That was sort of the entire job - just finding a tone that felt singular rather than derivative. We sort of went with the philosophy of a dumb eulogy or atmospheric comedy… if that makes sense.

I’m sure there are similar things out there because everything’s been done, but the idea was to give them their own distinct voice. The music was the gateway to getting the tone right. The most impressive thing about all this was the bravery of the client to do something unique.

"We wanted to stand out, make people laugh, and put some work on air that would help make Kwiff famous."

The characters, particularly the adult schoolboy in Bedlam and the identical father and son in Father and Son, are great; how did you approach casting?

Low: You’re just looking for people that make you laugh for the right reason, is the short answer. Things like this are essentially silent films so there’s an emphasis on look versus performance but both always end up mattering. 

What was the biggest challenge for you?

Low: The hardest part is always the writing. From the initial idea that Dave and Ed came up with to the scene ideas that will actually be funny and feel simple - and doing all that quickly enough so production can react. The shooting is the fun part if the writing is solid. 

What are you hoping to achieve with this campaign?

Kolbusz: We wanted to stand out, make people laugh, and put some work on air that would help make Kwiff famous. If you like them, please do us a favour: download the app and place a bet.