Ad of the Day: Alfa Beer shows how smartphone distractions can ruin a date
Heineken-owned Alfa Beer, alongside agency partner Soho Square, has released an ad reminding us how distracting mobile phones are and prompting viewers to be more present.
Directed by Sune Sorensen, ‘Distractions’ sees a young couple enter a restaurant for a date one evening. As they sit down both automatically take out their phones and stare at the screen instead of enjoying each other’s company.
As the film continues, viewers see the room start to get incredibly crowded – the couple’s colleagues, friends and family members begin to pop up around them. As the night goes on, everyone from skateboarders, famous chefs and social media celebrities to fishermen, movie characters and astronauts start filling up the space – all of whom manage to separate the couple more and more. In the end, the story reveals that when the duo isn’t distracted by notifications they can enjoy their date more.
“Somehow, it feels appropriate right now to focus on the memories we create and moments we share with loved ones – to remind ourselves not to miss out on life and love in favor of the numbing, albeit gratifying, act of escapism,” said Sorensen.
“Sometimes we separate ourselves from even the greatest of situations in an almost auto-response-like way the second we have to wait a minute. But it’s OK to be awkward once in a while, and it’s OK to just be without always having to fill the gaps.”
Smaragda Adamopoulou and George Kaetzcopoulos, who star in the ad, are both Greek, and the shoot also took place in Athens, which was important to the director.
“These types of brand campaigns risk becoming somewhat generic in their tone and style when they seek to accommodate a general international appeal,” Sorensen added.
“I was delighted to know that the client and agency wanted to maintain a close sense of cultural relevance to their Greek history – finding a lovely local tavern, local celebrities and great local talent just felt right for a story like this.”
Interested in creative campaigns? Check out our Ad of the Day section and sign up to our Ads of the Week newsletter so you don’t miss a story.