Risky Business

A viral advertising campaign by NZ’s Prodigy Films has caused a stir online. Created for Irish skincare line Elave (Ovelle Pharmaceuticals), Prodigy’s “Nothing to Hide” clip is a risqué parody of the countless cosmetic or personal hygiene ads set in a laboratory. To emphasise the purity of its products, the Elave take on the traditional “lab technician” ad features an all-nude male and female cast. “New Zealanders are so laid-back that they made it seem totally natural,” said company owner Joanna Gardiner of the shoot, in which she also appeared. Gardiner claims that sales of Elave products have soared by 500% as a result of the risky campaign, which has been viewed, at the time of writing, by more than 350,000 people. “Nothing to Hide” was directed by Brendan Donovan and produced by Caz Hearn, with creative work by Dave Govier and Levi Slavin.