Mike Figgis Wants Us All To Be Nice On The Bus
Patrick 30/01/08, 12:24
Your top five hates on the bus? Kids playing music out of their tinny mobiles? Litter? People shouting down their phones? It’s OK. London’s buses are about to become oases of calm and civil behaviour thanks to director Mike Figgis.
Ad agency M&C Saatchi recruited Figgis to shoot a 3-minute cinema commercial in the split-screen style of his Timecode feature encouraging us all to be much more considerate on the bus.
As in the movie, separate, but linked, stories unfold on each of four different shots. A man shouting into his mobile is texted by a girl at the back asking him to keep quiet: he is later revealed to be the lover of a girl sitting upstairs - the pair have obviously had a row and he goes up to comfort her. Meanwhile, downstairs, our community-spirited texter also tells off a young man for dropping his chips on the floor. And, upstairs, a young hoodie confounds tabloid stereotypes (didn’t see that coming did you?) by asking his mates to stop annoying the nice old biddie sitting next to him.
The cinema advert will be shown on 799 screens across London from 1 February. It was shot on four hand-held digital video cameras in one take with no editing. Watch it here
Mayor Ken says: “Public transport is for all Londoners and a little thought from each of us will make a big difference to everyone using our transport system. This campaign simply asks us to think about the effect of our behaviour on other passengers. We all share London’s buses and Tube so a little thought for one another can make all of our journeys more pleasant and less stressful.”
The campaign will also involve posters on buses and at Tube stations throughout London encouraging people to be considerate to their fellow passengers, summed up as ‘A little thought from each of us. A big difference for everyone’. They will feature five characters (who also feature on the end-shot of the film, below) making specific pledges ranging from ‘I will offer my seat’ and ‘I will not play my music out loud’ to ‘I will try to remember what it is like to be 14 again’.
(10 comments)
Such shameful plagiate and bad concepting should not remain unpunished 
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