Pepsi‘s Elephant Tower is the winner of numerous awards. Filmed in India for a French advertising agency, the television commercial features a young boy who discovers his power over Elephants. What he doesn’t realise is that his power is based on their thirst for Pepsi.
The narrator tells the story: “As far as I can remember I have always lived with elephants. Then one day I discovered I had a power over them. So I decided to train them to do something special – the elephant tower. My elephant towers became bigger. I became famous all over India.”
We see the development of the boy’s use of Pepsi as a ‘carrot’ in training elephants. At the climax of the elephant handler’s career he’s an adult inside a huge circus tent with large crowds. He’s successfully balanced four elephants on top of each other when a young boy in the audience opens his can of Pepsi. Bedlam ensues as the elephants follow their new source. The adult elephant handler escapes from under the covers of the tent.
“But I was wrong about those animals. Elephants were not a good idea.”
The final scene shows our animal handler thinking things over as he sits above a water hole. As he opens a can of Pepsi a large hippo leaps into the air in response. “I think I’m back.”
Click on the image below to play the Elephant Tower video.
Elephant Tower Credits
The Pepsi Elephant Tower ad was developed at CLM BBDO, Boulogne Billancourt, Paris, by creative director/copywriter Anne de Maupeou, creative director/copywriter/ art director Vincent Behaeghel, agency producers Pierre Marcus and France Monnet.
Filming was shot by director was Punjab-born Tarsem Singh via @Radical.Media, with producer Tommy Turtle and director of photography Brendan Galvin.
Sound and music production were provided by Barrera Productions by composer Pascal Morel, arranger Hubert Bougis, and sound designer/mixer Jean-Marc Lentretien. Music was recorded and mixed at Abbey Road Studio with more than 80 musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra.
Visual effects were produced by Tom Sparks at Realise and Play. Sparks was awarded a bronze CLIO for Outstanding Visual Effects.
Awards
CLIO Awards, 2003 (Bronze) for Technique: Visual Effects
World Advertising Festival of Gramado, 2003 (Silver Cock)
Grand Prix Stratégies de la Publicité, 2003 (Winner) for International Campaigns
Cannes Lions 2003 (Bronze Lion) for Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Shark Awards Advertising Festival, 2003 (Silver) for Television: Non Alcoholic Drink
AdForum Creative Hits, 2003 (Silver) for FranceEpica, 2003 (Winner) for Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Eurobest, 2003 (Silver) for Non Alcoholic Drinks
British Television Advertising Awards (BTAA), 2004 (Diploma) for International
I wish I’d seen it.