In B&Q’s Flip ad, life is, quite literally, turned upside down when the main character discovers she’s pregnant. Intended to emphasise the many ways the DIY store can help people change and update their homes, the ad was also a significant technical achievement. It was filmed on a one-of-a-kind rotating set that allowed the ad to be shot in a single take, reducing the amount of post-production work.

This required a complex, and sizeable, underlying framework, constructed in an indoor sports stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria – one of the few spaces big enough to accommodate the rig. It took three weeks to complete the set – which is carefully balanced to accommodate the shifting weight of objects falling, as the house tips upside down – including creating lightweight versions of products that would be available in B&Q stores. Finally, a miniature set was built for the exterior shots of the home.

Credits:
B&Q: Flip
Category: Production Design
Entrant: Uncommon Creative Studio/Surfaces Ltd
Creative Studio: Uncommon Creative Studio
Production Company: Pulse Films
Director: Oscar Hudson
Production Design Company: Surfaces Ltd
Production Designer: Dan Betteridge