11.10.09

Bloomburg Studios, London

Bloomberg, widely recognised as the world’s leading news agency for business-related reportage and information, have an undisputed reputation as the fastest-growing real-time financial information global TV network. Seeking a prestigious event agency with high production values to launch their new, state-of-the-art news studio space and reflect their new contemporary identity, they approached Drive Productions. The rest, as they say, is history.

Housed in the Bloomberg Building in London – designed by none other than Sir Norman Foster and boasting an incredible six-storey internal atrium – the company needed something special to communicate their present shift in tone. Treating 250 of their special guests to a jaw-dropping laser & light show, with power-house lasers, LED fixtures and cutting-edge visuals projected onto huge mirror balls suspended at intervals throughout the atrium was the least we could do.

In association with animation director Giles Thacker (Ultrascope) we also devised, directed and produced a short film to commemorate the launch, shown simultaneously across the eight Bloomberg studio screens. A bespoke performance soundtrack was created courtesy of DJ Kosmetiq, who also composed live throughout the night. Special guests included internationally acclaimed interviewer and broadcast journalist Charlie Rose who televised his support speech and attended in spirit.

The launch of the studio was deemed by Bloomberg to be a major success, with many of their clients and advertisers responding to the event by renewing their advertising budget with Bloomberg. Not bad considering the financial climate.

03.10.09

Potters’ Fields, Tower Bridge, City of London

Primeval it may be but we’ve never been able to resist an invitation to build a big bonfire and get the flame-throwers out. So when acclaimed director W.I.Z asked us to design Dizzee Rascal’s latest music promo for his single ‘Dirtee Cash’, we were delighted to accept the commission.

Described in the creative brief as ‘an unholy alliance of Notting Hill Carnival, the Poll tax Riot and The Wicker Man’, the shoot sees London’s very own Rascal, resplendent in top hat and tails, cast as the ‘Pied Piper of Peckham, the Falstaff of Finsbury’, the vagabond leader of a grotesque Carnival procession, leading the ‘Feast of Fools’ a merry dance.

The shoot took place care of Factory Films, at Potters Fields in the shadow of Tower Bridge at nightfall. It’s not easy setting fire to anything in the heart of the City of London but pyrotechnics & permissions are our speciality so it all ran like clockwork. Despite being offered up to the flames himself, in an ironic twist to his tale, Dizzee went away a happy man. And so he should, with Dirtee Cash heading straight up the single charts to a number ten slot within days of its release. If money talks, the boy from Bow has certainly been listening.