The Producers’ Olivia Altavilla directs Grove Juice’s ‘Get Up To Some Good’ TVC via Akkomplice

The Producers director Olivia Altavilla has directed the new TVC for Grove Juice’s ‘Get Up To Some Good’ campaign developed by Akkomplice.

Says Altavilla: “I was lucky to be welcomed on a journey with the talented copywriter Glenn Dalton (GD), CCO Akkomplice. He first reached out months before the production had even started. The words were simple yet playful. Like lyrics to a song. They reminded me of my childhood – the freedom of being a kid and getting up to mischief. Being invited onto a pitch so early enriched every step of the process.”

Says Glenn Dalton, CCO of Akkomplice: “In early chats with Oly, we agreed the ad had to have a looseness to it; ‘glossy perfection’ was to be avoided at all costs. We wanted to be amongst the chaos of life rather than curating it too much. Understanding that it’s easy to overcook slice-of-life ads, we wanted to focus less on the icing, and more on the crumbs. The messy, but just as tasty bits. Oly delivered in spades.”

GD’s first brief was simple. His poetic voice-over complemented with images. No traditional script.

Says Altavilla: “I loved this! There was the freedom to explore and craft scenes that captured the authenticity Grove Juice has in spades. It was the start of an incredible collaboration between myself, GD, Liz and the Grove team.

“We wanted the scenes to be genuine—kids with dirty clothes and fingernails. We needed every moment to feel truthful to the Grove Juice family, and lucky for us, we had the time. We traveled to Moree and were welcomed with open arms. Sascha Estens along with her hilariously charming little son Jack, took us on an adventure to visit all the town’s epic locations and beautiful people. But Sascha didn’t just connect us with the people we were secretly casting; she immersed us in the community and their way of life. We were even invited over for a delicious home-cooked meal by the matriarch, Lee Estens, who shared stories and showed us family photos. As a director, it felt more like working on a documentary than a commercial. So many detailed gems came from having the time to get to know the places and the people that shaped this brand.”

And the collaboration didn’t stop there.

Continues Altavilla: “Our EP Noelle Jones was busy on set making salads with Lee. GD and I were crafting scenes on the fly when our river no longer had water. Liz balanced watching the monitor and being on-screen talent with her girls like a pro. And, of course, Sascha, the true hero, subbing in as one of our swimmers and running into the icy water in just her undies.

“A big thanks to cinematographer, Jason Hargreaves ACS who captured the most stunning images. With all these beautiful rushes, we dove into post with the same tenacity and fierce collaboration. Raechel Harding found all the gems, weaving them together effortlessly. The brilliant Ack Kinmonth crafted a score of mine and GD’s country dreams. We spent days tracking down the perfect voice for the campaign.

“It was an extension of our wild adventure, and when Liz cried watching the first offline, I was over the moon.”

Says Liz Brookes, general manager – marketing, Grove Juice: “In developing this campaign, it was important that we assembled a like-minded team that understood our strong family values, and could work alongside our people to bring those values to life. Olivia immediately stood out as someone who could make us shine in front of the camera. During production, she embraced the haphazard nature of working with non-professional actors and made it fun for everyone on set, which brought out the best in their performances.”

Says Kenny Hill, founder of Akkomplice: “It was impossible not to get caught up in everyone’s passion for this project, from the agency, to our production partners and most importantly our client Grove Juice. What we captured on film is a direct result of the close collaboration that began with a very real, trusting client.”

Concludes Altavilla: “This project was a journey I will never forget. I loved being invited into the campaign much earlier than I’m used to. As a young director I learned so much from the process and working with GD. He listened to my vision as we built on his. I hope you enjoy this as much as I loved directing it.”

The campaign is supported by a large-scale media campaign ahead of the Christmas season and runs for eight weeks.

To view more of Olivia’s work, click here.

Client: Grove Juice
General Manager / Marketing: Liz Brookes

Agency: Akkomplice
Chief Creative Officer: Glenn Dalton

Production Company: The Producers
Director: Olivia Altavilla
Executive Producer: Noelle Jones
DOP: Jason Hargreaves ACS
Colourist: Matt Fezz
Offline Editor: Raechel Harding
Sound Design: Windmill Audio
Voice Over: Warwick Moss ex. RMK Voices
Music: Ack Kinmonth
Stills: Jon Webb

PR Agency: Red Havas

Media agency: Scout Frontier