Something saucy from the 'hood

The logo, and simple graphic illustrations of fish on the packaging, were the starting point for the visual style used in the new Saucy Fish TV commercial produced by The Neighbourhood. Airing tonight on ITV in Yorkshire, Meridian and South West regions, the spot was directed by creative director Jon Humphreys.

"It was about taking these simple shapes and developing a world around them that would have appeal and character - retaining the simplicity but not veering towards abstract graphics that wouldn't connect with the audience," he says.

The aim of the campaign is to bring a fresh, playful approach to advertising seafood products, with a bit of humour and verve. It's very colourful too, and the creatives working on it used most of what Adobe's Creative Suite has to offer - Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere.

"The trickiest part was the pacing and timing," adds Humphreys. "We had developed a tight script that communicated everything the client wanted to achieve but making sure the visuals told the story without seeming rushed in 30 seconds was a real challenge. Every frame counted in the end."

The graphics appear to hark back to a 50s or 60s style of animation, but according to the director, this is purely down to their simpllicity. "Any retro references were by accident rather than by design as many of the illustrations from that era are also made from bold colours and simple shapes," he says.