Hasta La Creative!

Creative content company Alkemy X has added Amsterdam-based collective Wefilm to its directorial roster for U.S. representation. The multiple Cannes Lions winner is known for its pioneering work in advertising and unconventional approach to branded content for such clients as Google, Heineken, Vodafone, and Tesla. To date, Wefilm’s work has been shared more than 300 million times and won over 120 international awards. The strategic alliance also bolsters Alkemy X’s presence and production resources in the European market.
“We constantly strive to partner with the absolute best brands and creators no matter where they are in the world,” remarks Alkemy X President & CEO Justin B. Wineburgh. “But every once in awhile, the stars align to do something bigger, as Wefilm checked all the boxes for the strategic international growth we are mapping out for Alkemy X and our valued clients.”
“With their innovative and edgy approach to branded content, Wefilm’s body of reality-based experiences and sincere storytelling is moving the needle for clients in unprecedented ways,” says Sara Iversen, Alkemy X VP of Business Development. “The mutually beneficial partnership we’ve forged with Wefilm not only introduces something new and fresh to our U.S. market agency and brand clients, but also extends our full-service operations and deep talent pool to their team in Amsterdam, and opens up exciting opportunities for Alkemy X in the European market.”
Whether it’s developing ideas from scratch through its Wefilm Concepts division or co-creating spots for its agency and brand clients, Wefilm’s avant-garde visions have consistently garnered industry attention, including a Cannes Grand Prix for its campaign for funeral insurer DELA via ad agency Ogilvy & Mather Amsterdam, as well as numerous Eurobest, Effie, Esprix, and ADCN awards, among others.
“With Alkemy X, we’ve found a trusted and prominent production partner in the U.S. that’s enthusiastic about our take on advertising, as we believe that consumers fundamentally choose their brands based on their contributions to society,” says Bas Welling, Wefilm Executive Producer, who co-founded the company with his brother and director Roel Welling. “If people like a story, they share and become an investor in that experience. Our joint task moving forward with Alkemy X is to create such opportunities for consumers and brands alike.”
Since opening in 2010, Bas and Roel Welling have built Wefilm’s roster around pioneering directors and creatives who are willing to embrace the power of genuine and emotional storytelling. Every Wefilm project benefits from the braintrust of all of its directors versus individual talents, which includes Joeri Holsheimer, Lennart Verstegen, Basha de Bruijn, Martijn de Jong, Joris Postema, and Beer ten Kate.
Some of Wefilm’s most notable and shared work includes: Heineken’s “Go Places,” an unconventional HR campaign with a personality test for new job candidates; “Bonding Buffet,” a heart-warming holiday airport stunt for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines that received 52 million views; and “Rollercoaster” for ABN AMRO, a spot which garnered 68 million views by turning a boring home tour into a thrilling ride. Wefilm’s projects for both Heineken and KLM, as well as another spot for McDonald’s, are all in the running for a Cannes Lions this year.

About Alkemy X:
Alkemy X is a creative content company offering live-action production, design, high-end VFX, and post-production services. We produce commercials, branded content, network creative, integrated marketing, social/digital initiatives, long-form unscripted television and visual effects for feature films, episodic TV, and commercials.

Photo caption: Top Row (L-R): Director Beer ten Kate, Director Basha de Bruijn & Director Joeri Holsheimer
Second Row (L-R): Director Jan Boon, Executive Producer Bas Welling & Producer Anouk Knapen
Third Row (L-R): Director Joris Postema, Creative Director Martijn de Jong & Director Lennart Verstegen
Last Row (L-R): Head of Concepts Ruben Cusell, Producer Annemieke Boschma & Creative Director Roel Welling

Comedian Nick Helms is used to a later lifestyle. But now he’s got to get up early for once to discover what makes Arla, Arla. In this spot he hangs out with a Welsh Dairy Farmer named Barbara who displays her passion and professionalism (and patience for his Ricky Gervais-like antics) as Helms learns what it means to be an Arla dairy farmer. Coming from a Welsh background I loved this bit of content. And while the math is very familiar the casting is strong. Helms might be your usual sarcastic comedian but he doesn’t come across as patronizing. My favorite line in the ad is when Barbara says “I hope that you take our message back to London,” and Helms looks at the camera and says “Stay off our land!” Good stuff there.

British comedian Nick Helms is setting out to see whether there’s anything to this whole getting up in the morning thing, vs sleeping in late and keeping stand up comedian’s hours. We’ve seen him talk to a stunt man and perhaps more conceptually relevant, a dairy farmer. And now this time he’s talking to Rex, a Chelsea fishmonger. Here, Rex talks about his love of empty streets and unobstructed views as he goes to Billingsgate Fish Market. After a quick cuppa, they head back to Chelsea where they unload the truck and get out the fish. At one point Nick attempts to fillet a salmon and asks “Do you ever get so tired that you cut a finger off?” The moral of the story is, if you love what you do then it’s no big deal getting up early in the morning. I don’t even remember seeing an Arla product in this particular piece of content so I’m not really sure what Arla has to do with owning the morning,. But it’s funny enough even at three minutes long. Although the conger eel joke doesn’t really get any funnier I like randomness as much as anyone, but I still think the dairy farmer worked the best as it related the most to the product. And as entertaining as Rex is, if they had gone with a baker at least there would have been a natural tie-in to the product without it being forced. Still, it’s probably the first piece of content this long where I haven’t thought it could have been strengthened by a taking the knife to it. So there’s that.