TV Commercial

Uncovering the roots of heritage brand Eyüp Sabri Tuncer with a touching new advertisement film.

I Mean It Creative rolled up their sleeves to tell the story of the century-long heritage brand Eyüp Sabri Tuncer, which was established in 1923, the same year as the foundation of the Turkish Republic.

We organized simultaneous shoots in Los Angeles, California and in Ankara, Turkey to create the TV Commercial and an accompanying teaser that draws connections between the brand’s roots and the foundation of the Republic, while also unveiling the brand’s new visual logo and sound logo.

Shooting the teaser and the first half of the commercial in LA, I Mean It started the project with some thorough research in order to collect documentation including old photographs and authentic documents such as the very first brochure created by Mr. Tuncer.

Once these items were collected, we continued the pre-production process by selecting the correct, period-appropriate props and creating a set that replicates what Mr. Tuncer’s workspace may have looked like 1923.

Meanwhile on the casting side, we hunted down an exact look-a-like of Mr. Tuncer, the founder of EST, using old photographs to compare our selection of actors, before finally getting approval from Mr. Engin Tuncer on the actor that most resembles his grandfather.

We separated the production into four parts; The first two in Los Angeles and the remaining two in Turkey.

Our LA Team started by shooting the ‘heritage wall’ which was used for the teaser, displaying all the collected photographs and documents which were printed, framed and hung. We continued the production in LA by shooting the parts of the commercial that include our look-alike actor experimenting with plants and perfumery equipment.

Simultaneously, our team in Turkey organized a shoot to capture scenes for the commercial that take place in the first EST Store in Ankara. These scenes include Ms. Pelin Tuncer, the Marketing Director of the company and great granddaughter of founder Eyüp Sabri Tuncer. Her inclusion in the commercial added a meaningful touch in telling the story of the family-led brand. The production team in Turkey also shot at the EST factory, where all the scenes at the end of the commercial showing the products in mass production were captured.

Bringing together all of these elements, I Mean It moved forward with the editing process by first creating a short teaser for the commercial that sets the tone and focuses solely on the foundation of the Turkish Republic and the mindset that emerged with it.

The video starts with a typed question appearing across the screen: What happened in the 1920s?

A deep male voice responds;

A leader formed a parliament and said ‘Republic’.

A pilot got in her plane and rose up to the clouds.

Some went underground and extracted a black ore.

Some others took that ore and paved roads to four corners of the country.

Someone wrote their own name on a blank piece of paper, for the first time, and at the age of 63.

A girl went to school one morning, for the very first time.

Eyüp Sabri Tuncer also rolled up his sleeves back in his first shop in Ulus, Ankara, to do the very best of his own work.

The video ends at this point, leaving an enticing feeling for the audience, which sets the stage for the actual commercial.

The commercial complements the teaser by working in parallel with the concept emerging through the foundation of the Republic of ‘doing one’s job’. Instead of a more general approach like that of the teaser, the commercial focuses solely on Mr. Tuncer’s work, and his exploration of scents and plants on the journey to discover the recipe for the very first Turkish cologne, a future tradition: ‘Limon Kolonyası’

To further this emotional connection, we launched the commercial and the teaser on the 23rd of April, which is the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day’s holiday in Turkey. Releasing these videos on a day that commemorates the foundation of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, on 23 April 1920, we were able to add to the celebration of a truly meaningful day for all Turkish people.

Credits:

Advertiser: Eyüp Sabri Tuncer
Authorized By: Pelin Tuncer
Advertising Agency: I Mean It Creative
Client Director: İpek Çelikkalp
Creative Director: Emrah Yücel
Text: Erdem Yücel and Birhan Gizligöz
Directors of Photography: Alper Nakri and Renat But
Editor: Arca Çoruh
Music: MatGri / Hasan and Işıl Özsüt