"For When It's Time"

29 April 2021

60s

Free and Easy

Now many of us have become accustomed to life indoors, the prospect of leaving quarantine looms large. Getting back to mates, dates, and meetings which don't take place through a screen can feel overwhelming, but this upbeat ad for Wrigley's Extra reckons a well-timed stick of gum can ease the way to normality.

The ad's joyful tone is very refreshing after the overwhelmingly grim covid-related content we've seen. The action unfolds in gleeful fashion, with a palpable sense of tension lifted as people rush from their homes without fear. If only it could be so in real life - there isn't even a mask in sight.

Director Nick Ball has done a fabulous job of capturing the abandon here, with charming incidental details adding relatable moments of humour (a woman emerging from her pizza-box burial is particularly good). Couples frolicking in public has a likely ring of truth, while a celebratory return to the office seems more optimistic.

UK

Chewing Gums / Bubble Gums