The domino effect in full swing: a scene from the new Guinness ad, Tipping Point

Tipping Point, the most expensive Guinness ad ever made – written by Abbot Mead Vickers BBDO and shot by Nicolai Fuglsig – is due to premiere tonight on ITV1 at 8.30. Shot up an Argentinian mountain, the ad shows a community coming together to create the mother of all domino-toppling spectacles.

Essentially, it’s Honda’s Cog ad to the power of ten (although it feels more Fischli & Weiss than Weiden & Kennedy). First we see dominoes toppling, then books, paint pots, barrels, then tyres rolling down hills, fridges toppling over, cars, wardrobes and a whole host of objects (even bread sticks) topple over until they reach a tower of books shaped like a pint of guinness - the final piece in the chain reaction.

Objects toppled include 6,000 dominoes, 10,000 books, 400 tyres, 75 mirrors, 50 fridges, 45 wardrobes and six cars.

“Shooting this was the biggest challenge of my career to date,” says director Nicolai Fuglsig. “It was a really tough job - from the remote high altitude location to having to frequently reset thousands of props, as well as working with hundreds of villagers that had absolutely no understanding of acting or film making – nothing was easy. Despite all the challenges, the cast was fantastic and it was a really amazing experience.”

CR readers can find an interview with the experts at Weijers Domino Productions about their crucial role in the making of the ad in our regular I Was The… feature in our forthcoming December issue.

In the meantime, you may like to actually watch the ad:

The ad is also supported with an online challenge called La Fiesta De Toppling where players are invited to crack a series of clues to win one of several solid gold dominoes that are up for grabs. Along the way players will meet Juan Ramon – the fictional mayor of theArgentinean village where Tipping Point is set and various other villagers… Get sleuthing at www.guinnness.com

CREDITS
Director - Nicolai Fuglsig
MJZ Executive Producer - Debbie Turner
MJZ Producer - Nell Jordan & Suza Horvat
Advertising Agency - Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
Creative - Angus MacAdam and Paul Jordan
Agency Producer - Carol Powell
Production - MJZ (Argentina)
Editor - Rick Russell @ Final Cut
Audio - Parv Thind @ Wave
Domino Experts - Weijers Domino Productions
Director of Photography - Ellen Kuras
Post production: The Mill
Crew - Pioneer Productions, Buenos Aires
Actors - almost entirely sourced from the local village and surrounding areas
Music - Spanish Dance No. 6 , composed by ENRIQUE GRANADOS