T-Mobile UK promoted its flexible ‘U-Fix’ mobile phone plans in May 2005 with ‘Sixth Sense’, two 30 second television adverts featuring moments of premonition. The voiceover from Girl and Boy is the same: “You pick the phone. You fix the monthly bill. So you always know what’s coming. U-Fix from T-Mobile.”
In “Girl” a young woman talks on her mobile phone as she casually strolls down an urban pavement. Walking past a piano shop she pauses just in time to avoid being crushed by a falling piano. She pulls a rubbish bin into the path of a fugitive from the law. In front of an appliance store the woman pulls herself up off the ground, in time to miss a cat and dog chase. As she walks past a car sales room she grabs a male pedestrian long enough to prevent him walking into the path of a stationwagon bursting through the plate glass. Click on the image below to play the “Girl” video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2iZKZYxu-0
Dream of better lives
the kind which never hate
dropped in the state of imaginary grace
I’ll stop the world and melt with you…
Boy
In “Boy” a young man talks on his mobile phone as he ambles through urban settings. Without looking up he ducks in time to avoid being hit by a mini-helicopter. He loiters long enough to miss being hit by a light pole falling on and crushing a car. In an urban park the young man uses a newspaper to catch bird dropping before it hits an embracing couple. He jumps into a tree to continue his phone conversation free of the disturbance caused below by a runaway rhinoceros. Click on the image below to play the “Girl” video.
There’s nothing you and I won’t do
I’ll stop the world and melt with you
Credits
T-Mobile’s Sixth Sense campaign was developed at Saatchi and Saatchi, London, by creative directors Paul Domenet and Andy Clarke with agency producer Chris Moore.
Filming was directed by Neil Harris via London production company Stink, with producer Jessica aan de Wiel and director of photography Martin Ruhe.
Editing for T-Mobile Sixth Sense was done at Marshall Street Editors, London by John Mayes.
Post production was done by Framestore, London, whose team included post producer Sarah Irwin, senior colourist Dave Ludlam, VFX supervisor Avtar Bains, digital paint and Roto artist Dasha Ashley, and Inferno artist Pheng Sisopha, with Barry E. Jackson providing conceptual art, and screenwriting provided by Maurice Chauvet and Christopher Vail.
Framestore VFX supervisor says, “We only had the one piano, and the one pane of glass, so it was vital that the crew get the drop and the crash right first time – luckily they were up to the job.” The most dangerous elements – the micro-helicopter, the rhino – were shot at off-set locations. “The rhino was really rather sweet,” says Av, ” We filmed him at a nearby safari park, and all he was doing was trotting like a puppy after the man who’d hand-reared him.”
Sound production was done at Triangle, London.
Music for the two T-Mobile Sixth Sense spots is Nouvelle Vague‘s cover of the Modern English 1982 track, “I Melt With You”, with vocals by Silja (Paavo Siljamaki). The track is featured on their self-titled album, Nouvelle Vague.
I Melt With You Lyrics
Moving forward using all my breath
Making love to you was never second best
I saw the world thrashing all around your face
Never really knowing it was always mesh and lace
I’ll stop the world and melt with you
You’ve seen the difference and it’s getting better all the time
There’s nothing you and I won’t do
I’ll stop the world and melt with you
Dream of better lives the kind which never hate
dropped in the state of imaginary grace
I made a pilgrimage to save this human race
What I’m comprehending a race that long gone by
I’ll stop the world and melt with you
You’ve seen the difference and it’s getting better all the time
There’s nothing you and I won’t do
I’ll stop the world and melt with you
The future’s open wide.