simplehuman | Sensor Mirror Hi-Fi
simplehuman designs everyday tools to help people be more efficient at home. We’ve produced live action and animated videos for simplehuman across multiple product categories.
The Challenge
The latest simplehuman mirror is not only a great mirror… it’s the ultimate makeup workstation, complete with a built-in, Alexa-enabled, high-fidelity speaker. Our task was to quickly show the uncompromising quality that simplehuman brought to both the light and speaker components of this product.
The Approach
From early in the project, 3D product animation was a clear winner, for which technique would show the mirror’s features clearly. This project began as a more features-based video, but we eventually learned that there were really only two main points that viewers needed to take away from watching this video. First, the mirror’s light has excellent quality, bringing out every shade in the makeup. Second, the included smart speaker brings hi-fidelity sound to your routine.
With those two points in hand, we knew we needed to visualize each of these things in a memorable way. Because neither light nor sound is directly visible, we developed ways to show the rays and pulses of these phenomena, as they spread out from the mirror. For the light, we knew there had to be a subtle, shimmering colorfulness to the rays, to represent the full-spectrum output. For the sound, we showed exaggerated waves on the ground in an elegant and colorful way, that ties it subtly with how the rays emanated from the light ring.
The Results
This video aided the sensor mirror hi-fi’s launch, and simplehuman plans to use additional variations of the video to drive sales on social platforms, including vertical versions for Instagram and Facebook stories.
simpehuman | A Peek Under the Lid
simplehuman designs everyday tools to help people be more efficient at home. And we think that’s just plain awesome.
The Challenge
To paraphrase simplehuman...
"When we're creating new products, we obsess over the smallest details. But all they see is the end result. How can we give our consumers a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible care and detail that goes into everything we make, so that they can understand the value of our products?"
The Approach
To paraphrase ourselves...
"Hey! What if we made you a behind-the-scenes video?"
Okay, there was a lot more to it than that, but when we connected our heads together with the client, that's where we landed. If you want people to understand the value of the product or service you offer, show them how much time and work goes into making that product or service. So, we spent an entire day interviewing members of their team, and capturing all kinds of great footage to match the narrative we were aiming to tell. The great part is, we found a lot of smart ways to tie in extra footage from our previous shoots. Not only did this majorly "up" the production value, but it enabled their target audience to see everything that goes on behind the scenes to the final result in someone's home.
Let There Be Tru-lux
The great thing about working with simplehuman, is that there is ALWAYS a story behind a simplehuman product. If these were behind the scenes videos for any other trash can or mirror, there really wouldn’t be much to say or show. But because simplehuman really THINKS about everything when it comes to serving consumers, we were able to dig up a lot of great information about why they chose certain technologies and which industries they borrowed from to accomplish their goals.
simplehuman | Home Cleaning Products
9 business days. That’s how long we had to write, shoot, edit, and sound design six 15 second ads for simplehuman. And we had to do it all while “sheltering in place.” Yeah. Take that, COVID-19. But why the rush, you ask? Because simplehuman had a lot of touch-free products like hand-sensored soap dispensers and voice-controlled trash cans that the world could really benefit from right now.
So, the team got into a 6-foot, socially distanced huddle and brainstormed. And before you know it, we were sending off Ubers filled to the brim with products to one of our cinematographers homes, where he had built an in-home studio ready for action.
Then, our Creative Director hopped on Zoom, FaceTime, phone calls, slack, and pretty much everything short of a homing pigeon trying to find a way to successfully communicate his vision and direction for each of these ads. What you see above and below are a few of the videos that really captured the “clean” essence simplehuman was hoping to make people feel…and they loved them so much, they came back and ordered two more.
Before you dive into the rest, here’s a quick peak behind the scenes of how it all went down!
The Square Versions
And their Vertical Counterparts
Product Campaign – Sensor Can
A New Kind of Trash
Ever heard Cinderella’s, “You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone?” Because that’s basically the challenge we faced with this project. When simplehuman came to us looking to make their voice-control and sensor can video, they described the benefit of their product as, “one of those things that you don’t fully realize how great it is, until you go back to using a regular trash can.” In other words, our challenge was to create a video that enabled people to completely visualize this can in their everyday life, so they could instantly recognize their need for this product. Challenge accepted.
The Approach
One week. That’s how long we sat with their sensor can. And man did we look at it and test it from every angle. The more we pored over it, the more we realized that it was actually the invisible qualities that made it so beautiful. Most products on the market these days are all about the bells and whistles, but simplehuman intentionally designed this can to be sleek, minimal, yet stunning and bold.
So, we decided to create a series of videos in two completely different contexts. The first approach was all about putting this product in an everyday lifestyle context. The second was to put their product in a completely agnostic space where we could solely focus in on each feature at a time.
We also made sure to shoot as much footage as the day allowed. That way, we could rework the story a million different ways to accommodate for a number of different mediums and CTA’s.
“The VeracityColab team was a pleasure to work with.
They listened carefully to our goals and delivered a wide range of valuable assets.
They’re great collaborators and exceptional communicators.”
Feature Videos
Behind the Scenes
Results
When everything was said and done, we created over 20 video assets to be deployed on simplehuman’s sensor can product pages, their social properties, and more. Thus far, we are seeing really positive reception, and to be honest, it’s really hard to walk past a trash can without saying, “open can.”
“The project management was flawless. Their client liaison transported me through the process like an A-lister in a Las Vegas resort. :)”
Product Campaign – Sensor Mirrors
simplehuman designs everyday tools to help people be more efficient at home. And we think that’s just plain awesome.
The Challenge
Honestly, simplehuman products can sell themselves. The biggest challenge was learning how to film each product without being seen in the reflection.
The Approach
On the surface, each product might just look like a sexy mirror, but the more we unpacked the features, the more we realized that each mirror had a story to tell. So, we decided to craft each video to communicate like a product video, but feel like a lifestyle video.
SENSOR MIRROR – COMPACT FEATURES
SENSOR MIRROR – TRU-LUX
SENSOR MIRROR TRIO
The Results
Each of these videos can be found on simplehuman’s product pages as well as their social channels and YouTube pre-roll.
“The compact has very quickly established itself as a top selling mirror.”