Ö DE PNV (FEAT. TOMM¥ €A$H)

The pun that turned into an aspirational fever dream.

Facing frequent delays and fierce competition on the road, German trains have long had a mixed reputation. To change this, the initiative Zukunft Nahverkehr (Public transport is the future) has been called into life and briefed us at Virtue Worldwide to create a campaign based on a perfume pun.

The result is a playful, 60-second digital ad fronted by a Transformer-like Tommy Cash. Taking a conventional perfume ad format and flipping it on its head, I worked on subverting this tried and true format with a psychedelic twist. In the film, the musician morphs into a train and takes viewers on an uncanny ride through Berlin, spawning cleaner air and more living space.

Launched on World Car Free Day, the film has had over 15 million impressions. It’s bold, bizarre, and designed to spark conversation. At the launch event in Berlin, 10,000 testers and 500 full-sized bottles of "Ö de PNV," were handed out with proceeds supporting Viva con Agua, a charity focused on clean water access. The campaign has won a DPOK Award for "Most Courageous Campaign".