B&Q’s latest ad uses stop motion storytelling to show the benefits of DIY

The spot features beautiful stop motion animation by director Sam Gainsborough to tell the story of a dad who uses DIY to improve his life

The ad is the latest work from Uncommon for B&Q’s Build A Life campaign yet strikes a different tone to previous work in the series, which has featured bold posters and an ad showing footage of real people doing DIY on their homes. Titled Later Means Never, this spot, by contrast, takes more of a storytelling approach.

It focuses on the tale of Nigel, whose life is in slump, which is elegantly reflected in Gainsborough’s fantastical animation. As the ad progresses we see how, with the encouragement of his family, he can transform his home and his life – with a bit of help from B&Q, natch.

The film features meticulous design, including set design modelled on B&Q’s interiors range replicated in miniature form. The cave structure was carved from foam, the cracking floor of the set was built from a thick layer of plasticine and the magical tower was made from hundreds of handmade miniature DIY tools.

“I loved the original script, it was grippingly unusual and knew it could make a delightful and peculiar film,” says Gainsborough. “I’m inspired by traditional animation techniques that let the materials and textures show off their natural beauty. Stop-motion felt like the perfect way to bring this story to life, as we could really feel the cracking plaster, the dripping paint and unravelling wallpaper. DIY is all about getting your hands dirty, and hand-crafted stop motion has an innate roughness to it that is in keeping with this ethos.”

Production images from the shoot

Credits:
Creative Studio: Uncommon
Production Company: Blinkink
Director: Sam Gainsborough