On Reflection: Ulf Johansson Gets Tango'd

The job was unique in its simplicity, but hard-hitting in its message. It was playful and fun. 

But most importantly, there was a creative team behind it – Charles Inge, Micky Tudor and Brian Turner [of CHI & Partners] – that we knew and trusted. We had worked together many times so the journey was a joy, with the delightful producer Anthony Falco (aka the Falcon) whipping us all into shape. With creative talent such as that, one has the key to a great campaign. Plus the client was an absolute joy – the PPM happened in a pub! The client just told us to do what we do best and to sell Tango. It made us work that much harder, as he trusted us to deliver.

Orange Man [the previous happy-slapping Tango spot] was great but the agency and client wished to take the campaign in a slightly different direction. So we only looked forward to get that Tango “hit”. Casting was everything: we looked far and wide for protagonists that were able to take direction well and play their roles with an earnest sensitivity without being slapstick. 

Each set of commercials for each campaign was shot back-to-back. The production process was a journey of in-camera tests to create a world where we could get everything in-camera. The learning curve was steep, and the shoot days were short so we had to be fully prepped for our special effects and keep a tight schedule. 

There were no practice runs – we shot everything as we went along. Even in a rehearsal, one can capture great in-camera magic. It is always the reset time that is the killer. Actors give a better performance when they are surprised by the action that is required – the nuances of their body language and the ability to take direction relies on keeping the action fresh and light on its toes.

Stunt folk are talented people but by definition, their body language and body shape is very different from that of a regular guy. Accordingly we used stunt coordinators rather than real stuntmen. The poor cast thought we were bonkers! But there was a method to it and no animals or people were hurt during the filming process. Promise.

I don’t know how much fruit we went through. It was shot in plates so that we could create as much mess as possible! Maximum chaos, maximum hit of the Tango. MPC then cunningly sewed together the plates in post. They didn’t blink when we popped in for meetings with our boards and told them we’d be shooting everything in-camera for real. If they thought we were nuts they have never told us. As yet.

Finding the right chair for a three-point touch-down was probably the biggest challenge. The best part? The comedic timing of the voice-over (which of course was the talented Rob Brydon) was incredible. He just got it spot-on every time.

Each job has its own heartbeat and momentum. You work as hard as you can to create the best work one can and then have to move on. You are only as good as your last job so you hope that everyone is happy with the result. I can’t say we would have done anything differently if we had the chance again.

The creative team really deserved their gold Lion [for Postman] at Cannes. Who the hell comes up with storylines like that? Long live the vivid imagination.

I think these ads could definitely be made today. The humour is timeless. It’s just a case of getting the grown-ups and grands fromages to buy the creative and the world’s your oyster.