"Off the Ground"

25 February 2020

60s

Sky's the limit.

Last year, Starling Bank marked their television debut with a flock of CG birds. Here, they opt for a garden shed-cum-flying machine to illustrate how they can help fledging businesses.

Drawing inspiration from the likes of Wallace & Gromit and Raymond Briggs’s Father Christmas, the ad shows a woman take off in a heli-shack while hubby and daughter watch with pride.

A smooth flight wouldn’t raise viewers’ pulses, however, so director Elliot Dear unleashes a lightning bolt on the wooden aircraft for good measure. Fortunately, the advertised bank are used to helping businesses ride out the storm.

Despite the big-budget aesthetic, Dear ensures that we empathise with the protagonist as she runs the gamut of entrepreneurial emotions. Furthermore, it underlines the brand’s progressive attitude towards female business owners under the cosh.

UK

Banks