Learn how Berlin-based agency DOJO contacted us to produce one of the most quirky series of sketches for Klarna here in Germany. From the creation of the dog puppet, the set design to the post-production, this is worth an article on the process of making such a cool project!

Behind the scene of the Dear Klarna shoot, with Lola Lavish an Afghan greyhound puppet sitting in a pink background.
Direction + Character design & Puppet Making by Ben&Julia Studio // Agency: DOJO Berlin

So much LOVE…

DOJO’s awesome idea was to launch an online competition with Klarna in which customers could get their buyings reimbursed if their love letter was picked out.

The mega entertaining campaign was such a success that Klarna has never received so much appreciation from its customers, collecting literally thousands of love letters every month.

The campaign was spread over several months during which 5 episodes of 90 seconds plus a trailer, explored the
visual identity of the brand, introducing a new puppet character: the sublime Lola Lavish.

As the design and construction of Lola, the funny and extravagant fashionista dog, began, the set did not wait either.

Small sculptures of eyes and a dog nose by @benandjulia

Pink latex curtains and a Neo Post Rococo Vibe…

After establishing mood boards, multiple sketches, and passionate discussions about the overlook of the films and main protagonist, we and the creative team were having so much fun that we knew quickly we were up to something awesome.

We then brought in our friend Romy Gessner, who took care of the set design and together we ordered the necessary materials and the construction of the set could start.

The shell sofa, of course, was the centerpiece, it had to be beautiful and functional because the puppeteer had to both hide behind it and still be able to handle Lola easily.

As our studio is equipped with all the necessary tools, we could built everything directly on-site, in the workshop area located next to the shooting studio.

We were soon able to do a pre-light setup and make the first camera tests.

Everything was falling into place and at this stage, we just wanted to test the set with Lola and our puppeteer, we were excited to see Lola in action and start shooting, this is when the great pupeteer Inga Schmidt came on the scene.

Shooting “La Lavish”

Julia and I discovered Inga during the previous winter in Berlin, she puppeteering with her troupe called “Artisanen” and we then immediately knew that we would collaborate at some point.

Inga came over to the studio and as she started performing with the puppet dog, it was hilarious. Her ability to portray Lola was remarkable and her performance became even more natural and funny as we were filming her.

As Lola was coming to life before our eyes, we started accessorizing her with jewelry, glasses, hats, and silky pajamas, creating variety and reflecting her rich personality throughout the episodes.

Three days of intensive shooting, followed by a fourth day for slow-motion shots, close-ups, and photos for the mini-site, and the shoot was behind us but the fun wasn’t over yet…

The A-TEAM

We were all so happy with the way the filming went that the team spirit was extremely strong and stayed very much inspired.

The fusional collaboration with Heath Lock, Creative Director at DOJO, and Hanns Segelcke, copyrighter continued throughout the post-production giving birth to hilarious sound sessions at Massive Voices.

From the wonderful music composed by Pierre Créac’h to the sound design effects, as well as the talent of Kaya Möller (Lola’s voice), we were super excited!

As for the idea of asking me to do the voice of the show host… Well, they didn’t have to ask me twice haha.

But how did we manage to produce so much content during Corona?

Made in the midst of the pandemic and therefore respecting distances, wearing masks, we were able to produce the films using the entire Ben&Julia Studio setup and thanks to the installation of a wireless video system in the shooting studio.

This system allowed the agency team and client to watch what we were filming live, comfortably installed in the post-production office while the technical team was filming next door.

It was so fascinating to see our favorite editor David Kuruc, reviewing all the takes and starting to assemble them while the shoot continued to happen.

It is the quality of the work, the motivation of the team, and the installation of new technical solutions that ensured the success of these films, or could it be my irresistible French accent? haha 😂

Let us know what you think!

Did you enjoy this article and want to learn more about Mixed Media, puppetry, or how our independent creative studio functions?

Contact us now, we will get back to you shortly!

You can check all the videos from the campaign along with full credits by visiting the project’s page here.

Written by Benoit Créac’h / Ben&Julia Studio.

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You love puppets and want to see what we have done in the past? Check out our best puppet films so far:

Outback Steakhouse – 12 Days of leftovers

The Zax – Nothing to celebrate

TINO PIZZA – New Crap

Tahiti Boy and The Palmtree Family – 1973

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DEAR KLARNA – FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION.