The Umbrella Collective's Clio Grand Prix-winning project demonstrated how to provide an effective creative response to a real tragedy.
A Clio Grand Prix one of the highest recognitions in the creative industry and since its existence in 1959, no Hungarian company has ever won it – until now. The Umbrella Collective The Big Shake Up not only brought home an award with the project but also became the first Hungarian company in the history of the Clio Grand Prix. However, the expertise and unique approach behind the success meant much more: it carried deeper lessons that unfolded in a project addressing an extraordinary, important topic.
The Big Shake Up: when an idea shakes everything up
The project was initiated at the request of the German ProSiebenSat.1 television channel, in collaboration with Havas Germany and Seven.One Ad Factory, while the creative support was provided by White Rabbit. With the envisioned concept, they aimed to depict the effects of the Turkey-Syria earthquake in their advertisements.
For the Umbrella team, this represented a unique creative challenge, and they did not stop at producing a single film: they developed packshot templates into which any advertisement could be inserted, and the system automatically added realistic effects of the earthquake. Additionally, social media post templates were created that anyone could use if they wanted to join the action. As a result, the campaign transcended classic advertising frameworks, began to spread autonomously in the media and on social platforms, thus becoming a true media hack.
The masterful coordination of reality and expectations: the art of visual effects
The true creative added value of the Umbrella production house lay in how they handled the visual representation of the earthquake. They recognized that people have a definite idea of what an earthquake looks like, but in reality, the movement of objects often differs from what the viewer would expect.
Initially, they tried to reproduce the actual movements, but this was not convincing and did not create an authentic earthquake feeling. Thus, the task became to align reality with people's expectations and to create effects that are both realistic and novel, while maintaining the visual integrity of the brands.
Conscious building, international harmony, real impact
The Clio Grand Prix was not won by chance, but by the conscious building of the Umbrella Collective and the interplay of its strengths. For years, Umbrella has prioritized international collaborations, thanks to which they now have more foreign assignments than domestic ones, allowing them to understand various cultural expectations precisely and respond to them quickly and at the highest possible level.
A The Big Shake Up During the project, they realized the concept envisioned by the agency in just one month, in which the technical sensitivity of the 3D artists proved to be crucial.
Moreover, Umbrella has been focusing on projects that serve good causes for many years, even on a pro bono basis, investing specific resources to implement socially important initiatives. The timing of the project, which coincided with the tragedy of the Turkey-Syria earthquake, perfectly aligned with this responsible philosophy, thus the message transcended advertising and drew attention to an important social issue.
The story of the Umbrella Collective is an inspiration to all those who believe that a good idea can start from anywhere and can shake the whole world.
