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BMP DDB has created an atmospheric 60-second TV ad for the

Volkswagen Polo, which centres around martial arts students practising

their movements in eerie silence.

The lack of soundtrack and voiceover lends an air of intense

concentration to the commercial, which was the last created for BMP by

the creative team, Andy McLeod and Richard Flintham, before they left to

join Fallon McElligott last month.

The viewer hears only the gentle swoosh of feet on the gymnasium floor

and the rustle of loose clothing with each precise manoeuvre. Following

the lead of the instructor, the class continues adopting a series of

poses which appear at first sight to be based on Tai-Chi. However, as

the commercial unfolds, it becomes apparent that the students are, in

fact, simply miming the action of getting into and starting a car.

The scene then switches to outside the building as the instructor steps

into his Volkswagen Polo and the line, ’Self defence by Polo’, appears

on the screen.

The campaign, which breaks next Monday, will run nationally for four

weeks, both as the original 60-second version and as a 40-second

cut-down.

These will be supported by two different print executions - ’protective

shells’ and ’self protection’ - which will run in the national press

from mid-November.

’Self defence’ was directed by Ringan Ledwidge through the End. The

press ads were written and art directed by Dave Dye and Sean Doyle.

Media was handled by BBJ Media Services.

Polo’s protection theme aims to achieve stand-out by emphasising the

comfortingly solid nature of the car at a time when many other small car

brands are marketed more as a fashion accessory.

The idea was introduced in last year’s acclaimed commercial,

’protection’. This showed how people often protect themselves from

danger by making themselves smaller.