AMV enters the Dragons Den with new push for BBC

LONDON - A knight gallops away from his family in 'Lord of the Rings' style and arrives at a cave to carry out a feeble pitch to a dragon only to meet a fiery end in a campaign to launch BBC Two's new series of 'Dragons' Den'.

Created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, the campaign features knights who are reminiscent of the budding entrepreneurs who take the stand, many only to be criticised by the braying board, in the 'Dragons' Den'.

In the spot, called "snoozer", the knight leaves his family and gallops off on an epic journey set to cinematic music.

He rides across the land and pulls up at a cave, which he enters with a burning torch.

The music crescendos as he creeps through the winding passages towards the dragon.

The knight then reaches for his sword, but instead pulls out "the stand-up snoozer" -- a ridiculous contraption that is meant to allow commuters sleep on a packed train "and even has an alarm so you don't miss your stop".

He is then thrown from the cave with a fireball from the dragon, passing another hopeless figure of a knight on the way in.

"Dust slippers" follows in the same manner and the build-up is repeated, but this time the knight pulls out a cat with dusters tied to each of its feet.

The knight's pitch this time is on "the feline dust slippers". Again he is ejected from the cave followed by a burning cat.

The spots are directed by Guy Manwaring, who won a silver for his work on Wrigley's "alien" at Cannes this year. The campaign will run from July 22 on TV and radio.

Copywriter is Mike Nicholson and art director is Paul Pateman.

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