Kipper: Difference between revisions

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| runtime            = 45 seconds
| runtime            = 45 seconds
| product            =
| product            =
| released            = {{Film date|df=yes|1980|10|29|<!--location|-->ref1=}}
| released            = {{Film date|df=yes|1980|10|29|ref1=<ref name="campaign"/>}}
| slogan              = It's a new toy every day
| slogan              = It's a new toy every day
| writer              = Mike Cozens
| writer              = Mike Cozens
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| starring            = [[Wikipedia:Roger Kitter|Roger Kitter]] (voice-over)
| starring            = [[Wikipedia:Roger Kitter|Roger Kitter]] (voice-over)
| production company  = [[Wikipedia:Clearwater Features|Clearwater Films]]
| production company  = [[Wikipedia:Clearwater Features|Clearwater Films]]
| producer            = David Mitten
| producer            = {{ubl|Jane Bearman|[[Wikipedia:David Mitton|David Mitton]]}}
| country            = United Kingdom
| country            = United Kingdom
| budget              =
| budget              =
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== Summary ==
== Summary ==
The advertisement shows a small LEGO mouse
The advertisement features two LEGO creatures


when a LEGO cat appears
a small LEGO mouse is standing by a mousehole when a LEGO cat appears.


mouse, cat, dog, dragon, fire engine, submarine, submarine-eating kipper (initially misheard as "slipper"), an "anti-kipper ballistic missile", a "missile cruncher", elephant, mouse
mouse, cat, dog, dragon, fire engine, submarine, submarine-eating kipper (initially misheard as "slipper"), an "anti-kipper ballistic missile", a "missile cruncher", elephant, mouse


== Production ==
== Production ==
''Kipper'' was created at the London branch of the [[Wikipedia:Advertising agency|advertising agency]] [[Wikipedia:TBWA Worldwide|TBWA]] by [[Wikipedia:Copywriting|copywritter]] Mike Cozens and [[Wikipedia:Art director|art director]] Graham Watson.<ref name="1981 One Show"/> Cozens and Watson had joined TBWA in February 1980 and had developed two print advertisements for [[the LEGO Group]] before being briefed on a television project.<ref name="Dye"/> The commercial had to be created on a limited budget; the two did not want to resort to making a "dull" presenter commercial, and spent numerous late nights developing the concept and working with the accounting team to get script approval.<ref name="1981 One Show"/>
''Kipper'' was created at the London branch of the [[Wikipedia:Advertising agency|advertising agency]] [[Wikipedia:TBWA Worldwide|TBWA]] by [[Wikipedia:Copywriting|copywritter]] Mike Cozens and [[Wikipedia:Art director|art director]] Graham Watson.<ref name="1981 One Show"/> Cozens and Watson had joined TBWA in February 1980 and had developed two print advertisements for [[the LEGO Group]] before being briefed on a television project.<ref name="Dye"/> The commercial had to be created on a limited budget; the two did not want to resort to making a "dull" presenter commercial, and spent numerous late nights developing the concept and working with the accounting team to get script approval. (They later also credited young relatives of theirs, David Cozens and Jamie Watson, with "advisory" roles.)<ref name="1981 One Show"/> The initial version of the script was completed by 25 April; this version did not contain the slipper pun and featured a tractor instead of the missile cruncher.<ref name="Dye"/>
The advertisement was produced by [[Wikipedia:Clearwater Features|Clearwater Films]]. Clearwater suggested building a set with wallpaper and carpets, but Watson wanted to direct it "simply", using "just the skirting board and a reflective floor."<ref name="Bishop"/>


Filming took place over the course of seventeen days, and was done in a single take.<ref name="1981 One Show"/> The LEGO models in the film were created by [[David Lyall]], a model designer at LEGO UK.<ref name="Bricks n Pieces"/> Lyall built each model in stages, and a few frames of footage were shot between each stage. The largest LEGO model in the film, the dragon, was built out of {{formatnum:20000}} LEGO bricks.<ref name="1981 One Show"/> Additional [[Wikipedia:Stop motion|stop motion animation]] was done by Denis Russo.<ref name="Cook"/> Director Ken Turner and his team planned out the timing for both the building sequences and for zooming and panning the camera, having to make sure the camera movement lined up with each stage of the models.<ref name="1981 One Show"/>
The advertisement was managed on LEGO's end by [[Clive Nicholls]], the advertising manager of [[LEGO UK Ltd]].<ref name="Cook"/> Production was done by [[Wikipedia:Clearwater Features|Clearwater Films]], a studio founded by former [[Wikipedia:AP Films|Century 21]] directors [[Wikipedia:Ken Turner (director)|Ken Turner]] and [[Wikipedia:David Mitton|David Mitton]] the previous year; the two would be the film's director and producer, respectively.<ref name="Myerson"/> In a meeting with Cozens and Watson, Clearwater suggested building a detailed set with wallpaper and carpets for the advertisement, but Watson wanted to direct it "simply", using "just the skirting board and a reflective floor."<ref name="Bishop"/>
 
[[File:Lego Dragon in the office TBWA.jpg|thumb|The dragon model]]
The LEGO models for the film were created by [[David Lyall]], a model designer at LEGO UK.<ref name="Bricks n Pieces"/> The models were designed by mid-July and were finalised following adjustment suggestions given to Lyall on 23 July.<ref name="Dye"/> The largest LEGO model in the film, the dragon, contained around {{formatnum:20000}} LEGO bricks.<ref name="1981 One Show"/> Lyall made two versions of each model: one glued version and one to be assembled and disassembled for [[Wikipedia:Stop motion|stop motion]] filming.<ref name="Dye"/> The stop motion models were built in stages during filming, with a few frames of footage being shot between each stage.<ref name="1981 One Show"/> Animation was done by Denis Russo.<ref name="Cook"/> Director Ken Turner and his team planned out the timing for both the building sequences and for zooming and panning the camera, having to make sure the camera movement lined up with each stage of the models. Filming took place over the course of seventeen days, and was done without any retakes.<ref name="1981 One Show"/> Watson later likened the filming processs to watching paint dry.<ref name="1981 One Show"/><ref name="Dye"/>


TBWA initially considered comedian [[Wikipedia:Mike Reid (actor)|Mike Reid]] for the advertisement’s [[Wikipedia:Voice-over|voice-over]]. They instead decided on [[Wikipedia:Tommy Cooper|Tommy Cooper]], as his voice had done well in research at the time even among international audiences. Cooper was ill at the time of recording, however, and [[Wikipedia:Impressionist (entertainment)|impressionist]] [[Wikipedia:Roger Kitter|Roger Kitter]] was hired to impersonate him; audiences ended up thinking Kitter's impression was Cooper's voice.<ref name="Robinson"/><ref name="McCarthy"/>
TBWA initially considered comedian [[Wikipedia:Mike Reid (actor)|Mike Reid]] for the advertisement’s [[Wikipedia:Voice-over|voice-over]]. They instead decided on [[Wikipedia:Tommy Cooper|Tommy Cooper]], as his voice had done well in research at the time even among international audiences. Cooper was ill at the time of recording, however, and [[Wikipedia:Impressionist (entertainment)|impressionist]] [[Wikipedia:Roger Kitter|Roger Kitter]] was hired to impersonate him; audiences ended up thinking Kitter's impression was Cooper's voice.<ref name="Robinson"/><ref name="McCarthy"/>


== Reception ==
<ref name="Kanner"/>
<ref name="Kanner"/>


Line 51: Line 54:


<ref name="Bricks n Pieces">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/BricksNPieces-Spring1981-Brickset/mode/2up?view=theater |title=A Merry Old Soul |magazine=[[Bricks 'n Pieces]] |date=Spring 1981 |number=7 |editor-first=Clive |editor-last=Nicholls |editor-link=Clive Nicholls |page=1 |location=[[Wikipedia:Wrexham|Wrexham]], [[Wikipedia:Clwyd|Clwyd]] |publisher=[[LEGO UK Ltd]]}}</ref>
<ref name="Bricks n Pieces">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/BricksNPieces-Spring1981-Brickset/mode/2up?view=theater |title=A Merry Old Soul |magazine=[[Bricks 'n Pieces]] |date=Spring 1981 |number=7 |editor-first=Clive |editor-last=Nicholls |editor-link=Clive Nicholls |page=1 |location=[[Wikipedia:Wrexham|Wrexham]], [[Wikipedia:Clwyd|Clwyd]] |publisher=[[LEGO UK Ltd]]}}</ref>
<ref name="campaign">{{cite web |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/lego-kipper-tbwa/949419 |title=Lego 'kipper' by TBWA |year=2016 |website=Campaign Live |publisher=Haymarket Media Group |location=[[Wikipedia:London|London]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240817020449/https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/lego-kipper-tbwa/949419 |archive-date=17 August 2024 |access-date=17 August 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>


<ref name="Cook">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofwi0000cook/page/5/mode/2up?view=theater |title=The Guiness Book of Winners and Champions |edition=2nd |year=1981 |first1=Chris |last1=Cook |first2=Anne |last2=Marshall |publisher=Guiness Superlatives Limited |location=[[Wikipedia:Enfield, London|Enfield, London]] |isbn=0-85112-218-3 |page=5}}</ref>
<ref name="Cook">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofwi0000cook/page/5/mode/2up?view=theater |title=The Guiness Book of Winners and Champions |edition=2nd |year=1981 |first1=Chris |last1=Cook |first2=Anne |last2=Marshall |publisher=Guiness Superlatives Limited |location=[[Wikipedia:Enfield, London|Enfield, London]] |isbn=0-85112-218-3 |page=5}}</ref>
Line 59: Line 64:


<ref name="McCarthy">{{cite web |url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/06/14/world-s-best-ads-ever-88-lego-lays-the-foundations-40-year-legacy-with-kipper |title= World’s best ads ever #88: Lego lays the foundations for 40-year legacy with 'Kipper' |first=John |last=McCarthy |date=June 14, 2022 |website=The Drum |publisher=Carnyx Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240817094431/https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/06/14/world-s-best-ads-ever-88-lego-lays-the-foundations-40-year-legacy-with-kipper |archive-date=2024-08-17 |url-status=live |access-date=2024-08-17}}</ref>
<ref name="McCarthy">{{cite web |url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/06/14/world-s-best-ads-ever-88-lego-lays-the-foundations-40-year-legacy-with-kipper |title= World’s best ads ever #88: Lego lays the foundations for 40-year legacy with 'Kipper' |first=John |last=McCarthy |date=June 14, 2022 |website=The Drum |publisher=Carnyx Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240817094431/https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/06/14/world-s-best-ads-ever-88-lego-lays-the-foundations-40-year-legacy-with-kipper |archive-date=2024-08-17 |url-status=live |access-date=2024-08-17}}</ref>
<ref name="Myerson">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/rewindfortyyears0000myer/page/252/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Rewind: Forty Years of Design & Advertising |year=2002 |publisher=Phaidon Press |location=[[Wikipedia:New York City|New York]] |isbn=0-7148-4271-0 |first1=Jeremy |last1=Myerson |first2=Graham |last2=Vickers |pages=252, 486}}</ref>


<ref name="Robinson">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/100greatesttvads0000robi/page/34/mode/2up?view=theater |title=100 Greatest TV Ads |first=Mark |last=Robinson |year=2000 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:HarperCollins|HarperCollins]] |location=[[Wikipedia:London|London]] |page=34 |isbn=0-00-711123-1}}</ref>
<ref name="Robinson">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/100greatesttvads0000robi/page/34/mode/2up?view=theater |title=100 Greatest TV Ads |first=Mark |last=Robinson |year=2000 |publisher=[[Wikipedia:HarperCollins|HarperCollins]] |location=[[Wikipedia:London|London]] |page=34 |isbn=0-00-711123-1}}</ref>
}}
}}


[[Category:1980 films]]
[[Category:LEGO advertisements]]
[[Category:LEGO advertisements]]

Revision as of 05:22, 18 August 2024

Kipper
AgencyTBWA
ClientLEGO UK Ltd
MediaTelevision
Running time45 seconds
Release date(s)
  • 29 October 1980 (1980-10-29)[1]
Slogan
  • It's a new toy every day
Written byMike Cozens
Directed byKen Turner
Starring
Production
company		Clearwater Films
Produced by
CountryUnited Kingdom

Kipper is a British stop-motion television commercial first aired in 1980.

Summary

The advertisement features two LEGO creatures

a small LEGO mouse is standing by a mousehole when a LEGO cat appears.

mouse, cat, dog, dragon, fire engine, submarine, submarine-eating kipper (initially misheard as "slipper"), an "anti-kipper ballistic missile", a "missile cruncher", elephant, mouse

Production

Kipper was created at the London branch of the advertising agency TBWA by copywritter Mike Cozens and art director Graham Watson.[2] Cozens and Watson had joined TBWA in February 1980 and had developed two print advertisements for the LEGO Group before being briefed on a television project.[3] The commercial had to be created on a limited budget; the two did not want to resort to making a "dull" presenter commercial, and spent numerous late nights developing the concept and working with the accounting team to get script approval. (They later also credited young relatives of theirs, David Cozens and Jamie Watson, with "advisory" roles.)[2] The initial version of the script was completed by 25 April; this version did not contain the slipper pun and featured a tractor instead of the missile cruncher.[3]

The advertisement was managed on LEGO's end by Clive Nicholls, the advertising manager of LEGO UK Ltd.[4] Production was done by Clearwater Films, a studio founded by former Century 21 directors Ken Turner and David Mitton the previous year; the two would be the film's director and producer, respectively.[5] In a meeting with Cozens and Watson, Clearwater suggested building a detailed set with wallpaper and carpets for the advertisement, but Watson wanted to direct it "simply", using "just the skirting board and a reflective floor."[6]

File:Lego Dragon in the office TBWA.jpg
The dragon model

The LEGO models for the film were created by David Lyall, a model designer at LEGO UK.[7] The models were designed by mid-July and were finalised following adjustment suggestions given to Lyall on 23 July.[3] The largest LEGO model in the film, the dragon, contained around 20,000 LEGO bricks.[2] Lyall made two versions of each model: one glued version and one to be assembled and disassembled for stop motion filming.[3] The stop motion models were built in stages during filming, with a few frames of footage being shot between each stage.[2] Animation was done by Denis Russo.[4] Director Ken Turner and his team planned out the timing for both the building sequences and for zooming and panning the camera, having to make sure the camera movement lined up with each stage of the models. Filming took place over the course of seventeen days, and was done without any retakes.[2] Watson later likened the filming processs to watching paint dry.[2][3]

TBWA initially considered comedian Mike Reid for the advertisement’s voice-over. They instead decided on Tommy Cooper, as his voice had done well in research at the time even among international audiences. Cooper was ill at the time of recording, however, and impressionist Roger Kitter was hired to impersonate him; audiences ended up thinking Kitter's impression was Cooper's voice.[8][9]

Reception

[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Lego 'kipper' by TBWA". Campaign Live. London: Haymarket Media Group. 2016. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 The One Show: Advertising's Best Print, Radio, TV. Vol. 3. New York: The One Club for Art and Copy. 1982. p. 86. ISBN 0-960-2628-3-0. ISSN 0273-2033.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Watson, Graham (November 27, 2023). "BLOG/CAST: Graham Watson #1". Stuff From the Loft (Interview). Interviewed by Dave Dye. Archived from the original on 2024-08-17. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cook, Chris; Marshall, Anne (1981). The Guiness Book of Winners and Champions (2nd ed.). Enfield, London: Guiness Superlatives Limited. p. 5. ISBN 0-85112-218-3.
  5. ↑ Myerson, Jeremy; Vickers, Graham (2002). Rewind: Forty Years of Design & Advertising. New York: Phaidon Press. pp. 252, 486. ISBN 0-7148-4271-0.
  6. ↑ Bishop, Louise, ed. (1996). The Art Direction Book. Crans, Switzerland: Rotovision SA. pp. 170–171. ISBN 2-88046-284-3.
  7. ↑ Nicholls, Clive, ed. (Spring 1981). "A Merry Old Soul". Bricks 'n Pieces. No. 7. Wrexham, Clwyd: LEGO UK Ltd. p. 1.
  8. ↑ Robinson, Mark (2000). 100 Greatest TV Ads. London: HarperCollins. p. 34. ISBN 0-00-711123-1.
  9. ↑ McCarthy, John (June 14, 2022). "World's best ads ever #88: Lego lays the foundations for 40-year legacy with 'Kipper'". The Drum. Carnyx Group. Archived from the original on 2024-08-17. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  10. ↑ Kanner, Bernice (1999). The 100 Best TV Commercials ...and Why They Worked. New York: Times Books. pp. 90–91. ISBN 0-8129-2995-0.
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