The team behind Ogilvy Italy's striking historical film for Bolton's Group's personal care brand Neutro Roberts shares the inspiration behind the campaign and what went into creating the inspired historical reconstruction.
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What is the creative idea? What was your inspiration?
Neutro Roberts has always focused on its products and their features rather than highlighting its brand heritage and Italian roots, with the company based in Florence.
The brand's 120th anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate these roots and emphasize its dedication to skin care, a commitment that dates back even before the brand's founding, when Henry Roberts established his first pharmacy in central Florence.
At the time, Florence was considered the cultural capital of Italy and a center of excellence for pharmaceutical knowledge. This was where our story began, inspired by real events: the meeting between young Henry, who needed a sign for his new shop, and an elderly wood maker.
The film feels so realistic how did you recreate Florence? Can you tell us more about the location scouting and set dressing?
The authenticity of the storytelling was the key ingredient in the production of this campaign.
The setting of Florence was recreated in Budapest, a city renowned for its architecture reminiscent of the Tuscan capital and its expertise in period movies.
The pharmacy scenes were filmed inside a Jesuit pharmacy built in the first half of the 18th century in Székesfehérvár, just outside Budapest.
The pharmacy was perfectly preserved with its original environment, equipment, and furniture. Since 1975, it has been the Black Eagle Pharmacy Museum.
Were the sets used exactly as you found them, or did you alter them at all for filming?
Post-production was kept to a minimum as nearly everything was built specifically for the shoot, without the use of green screens. Meticulous attention was given to the accuracy of the period costumes, and all stage props, including carriages an authentic kerosene lamp used by the protagonist.
The steam engine is authentic, made functional by the special effects team and operated by its owner, who is over ninety years old.
The scenes in the carpenter’s atelier were shot in a historic workshop in Budapest where iron has been worked for centuries. The actor was trained by a real carpenter.
You can view the film below.
