"How Wonderful"

27 July 2026

1 min 50s

Getting real.

After watching this spec ad directed by Lea Thurner for German supermarket nahkauf, it's not surprising to learn she has been signed by Blink. Another brilliant alumnus from the extraordinary Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Thurner beautifully captures the poignant longing of young love as a young man and a young woman at each other's attention first furtively and then more intentionally, to use their generation's favourite word.

Vishti Bunyan's gorgeous 1960s classic 'Train Song' provides a perfect musical accompaniment as we witness each half of this pair recognising the other as a kindred spirit, but proceeding slowly so as not to endanger the fragile flame with a sudden movement.

It is a shame, is it not, that this couldn't possibly be a real commercial? The regulations would not permit the characters to be shown smoking – not that the regulators would need to get involved as there is no chance that any brand would be brave enough to try to get it past them. It's a shame though because it's one of a number of elements, including others that hint at behaviour that would be characterised as antisocial, that gives this its authenticity, and its authenticity is what gives it its power.

It's a reminder that the ad industry faces multiple constraints as it tries to generate content which audiences will find engaging, and of the difficulty of doing that when certain strands of authenticity are unavailable.

But, looking to the positive, this is a fantastic DAVID REVIEWS debut for a director who may prove to be a very special talent.We will be keeping an eye out for what she does next.

Germany

Supermarkets