Hasta La Motion!

Channel 4 is providing free airtime for “Look on the Light Side”, a campaign for Mars Chocolate UK brand Maltesers, in association with coverage of the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. The Maltesers Look on the Light Side campaign features actors with disabilities celebrating universally awkward situations, such as embarrassing moments with new boyfriends and bad behaviour at weddings. The 30-second scenes, “Theo’s Dog”, “Dance Floor” and “New Boyfriend”, are all based on real-life stories from people with disabilities and each features the actors interacting with a packet of Maltesers. The campaign, chosen from a 90 entries, was developed by AMV BBDO in association with disability advocacy agencies Scope and Enhance The UK.

In “New Boyfriend” our heroine (Storme Toolis) takes it in her stride when a romantic moment is interrupted by a spasm. In “Dance Floor” one guest (Samantha Renke) manages to look on the light side when wedding celebrations end in disaster. In “Theo’s Dog” a young woman (Genevieve Barr) uses sign language and Maltese’s to tell an amusing story about a missing hearing aid.

Michele Oliver, vice president of marketing at Mars Chocolate UK, said: “As one of the UK’s biggest advertisers, we have a responsibility and a role to play in reflecting diversity in everyday media. This is a first step for us.”

Channel 4 sales director Jonathan Allan added: “The calibre of competition entries demonstrated that the UK ad industry can be world-leading in improving representation of disability in advertising.”

A behind the scenes video explains that Maltesers partnered with Scope to produce the ad. Campaigns Manager Rosemary Frazer explains that roughly 20% of the population of the UK have a disability. Despite the large number, Frazer says they are invisible on TV. Michele Oliver, the VP of marketing for Mars chocolate says that the ad was inspired by the Paralympians. Richard Lane, the head of campaigns for Scope says the ad represents the reality of life for people with disabilities.

Earlier On The Light Side Ads

Four commercials, released in May 2016, introduced the “On The Light Side” concept. In “Leaving” our heroine (Beattie Edmondson) uses Maltesers to break some bad news to her boyfriend. In “Gran” a shoe shop assistant delivers some shocking news to her work mate. In “Necklace” two doctors take a lighter attitude to a disastrous wardrobe malfunction. In “Barney” we discover why the dog isn’t quite himself.

Maltesers Look On The Light Side Credits

The Maltesers Look on the Light Side campaign was developed at AMV BBDO by creative directors Mike Hannett and Dave Buchanan, agency producers Lizzie Abbott and Frankie Burwell-Wright, planners Cat Collins and Elly Fenlon, account team Philippa Field, Rebecca Kavanagh and Abbi Brown.

Media was handled at Mediacom by planner Aurelie de-Menthiere.

Filming was shot by director Clay Weiner via Biscuit Filmworks with director of photography Daniel Bronks, producer Toby Courlander, and stylist Vicki Russell.

Editor was Gareth McEwen at Speade.

Visual effects and colour were produced at The Mill by VFX producer Freya Hewett, production assistant Jomana Ayoub, 2D lead artists George Rockliffe, James Pratt, colourist Seamus O’Kane, colour assist team Brendan Buckingham and Thomas Mangham.

Sound was designed by Ben Gulvin at 750MPH.