Our Birthday Is Your Birthday by Simon Duhamel for Cavalcade
Photographer, Director and DOP, Simon Duhamel carried out this multiplatform campaign – entirely remotely – for Swissquote Bank.
With a completely virtual production between Montreal and Lausanne, Our Birthday is Your Birthday is a global TV, web and print campaign being broadcast throughout Europe, the United Arab Emirates and the USA.
This project, executed with Julien De Preux, Creative Director partnering with Cavalcade Advertising Agency, marks the 25th anniversary of Swissquote Bank, who wanted to thank its new investors.
"For the closing scene, we wanted to create an integrated transition to the tagline, so we chose a camera movement that would allow us to go from the person standing on the mountaintop to the panoramic view. We played with light and time, going from daylight to darkness to end the spot with a beautiful sunset, reminiscent of the brand's colours."
— Simon Duhamel, Director
"The Montreal-Lausanne time difference meant all systems go for me every morning and for them every afternoon! It was a huge balancing act to organise the shoot and get approvals in post-production, but it’s amazing how the distance between us can feel like nothing when you work with people who trust you!"
— Carolan Grégoire, Producer
"Light played a key role in some of the scenes as it is a vehicle for change that illustrates the added value of the brand. The train scene is a good example. We had to light the scene in two stages; inside the tunnel and when leaving. The transition was then triggered by the person using the Swissquote app."
— Simon Duhamel, Director
"Katia was my point of contact in the Cavalcade team throughout the project. We spent two months talking every day. She was my first text in the morning and always my last email in the evening. We had fun! The beautiful thing about projects that last several weeks is that bonds are formed, and that's incredible!
— Carolan grégoire, Producer
