"The Heist"

27 July 2017

74s

Daylight Robbery

A bank robbery takes a strange turn in this ad for Royal Mail. Created by M & C Saatchi and directed by Mad Cow's Simon Ellis, the dramatic film shows a gang of masked men invading a bank and taking customers and staff hostage.

The terrifying scene takes an unexpected direction, however, when it becomes clear that the criminals are after their victims' identities. They even reject money outright, as they viciously grill people for their mother's maiden name and passwords - personal information which is far more valuable than cash.

This could have been played for laughs but it has so much more impact as a piece of drama.

This is an ad bound to prove controversial - thugs in ski masks menacing the innocent public is never going to be an easy sell - but it's a striking way to bring attention to the importance of protecting personal data. It's not what we'd expect from Royal Mail, and it grabs all the more attention as a result.

UK

Postal / Courier Services