Family-owned cider maker Thatchers has brought in one of the advertising industry’s top directors and used some of its most cutting-edge techniques for its latest TV commercial.
Screened for the first time this evening, the commercial – for its flagship brand Thatchers Gold – was filmed in and around Thatchers’ Myrtle Farm in Sandford, near Weston-super-Mare. 
Called ‘Time Stops’, it shows the moment of intense excitement and anticipation at 12.30 each Friday when Thatchers’ cidermakers taste their next vat of cider to decide if it’s as good enough and ready to leave the farm.
Thatchers’ London-based creative agency Joint hired Simon Ratigan – one of the UK’s best known directors of commercials who has produced award-winning work for Lurpak, Orange, Vodafone and Hovis – who used ultra-slow-motion techniques to capture the essence of the moment when the cider is tasted.
He used a rare high-speed V1611 camera to shoot at a striking and filmic frame rate – up to 18,000 frames per second – capturing striking scenes such as a bee’s wings hovering or the Thatchers Gold bubbles rising.
The commercial was shot over three days using locations such as Thatchers orchards and its gigantic 150-year-old oak vats. The film showcases the dedication of the fourth generation cidermakers to great taste and perfection, making cider taste the way it should.
Thatchers marketing director Yvonne Flannery said: “The film opens on a picturesque sunlit Somerset landscape, taking the viewer on a journey around the Myrtle Farm community, through the farm gates, towards the cider vats, just as the tasting begins.
“The degree of slow-motion increases the closer we get to the point of tasting, amplifying the sense of anticipation and drawing the audience into the story as it unfolds.
“The director’s aim was to capture the mood and intensity of the moment by filming what happens at the cider mill in ultra-slow-motion, so that life comes to a virtual standstill just as the weekly tasting starts. Simple, everyday scenes shot in a beautiful cinematic way, give the film a charm, honesty and naturalism, reflecting life here at Myrtle Farm.”
The commercial will be aired during the break in Coronation Street this evening with the campaign continuing until the end of September on ITV, C4, Channel 5 and digital channels. Some 32m adults in the UK are expected to see the ad at least three times, with spot times including The Bourne Series of films, Very British Problems on C4, football league highlights on Channel 5, as well as key sporting fixtures on Sky.
It will also be seen in cinemas through to mid-September. Media buying was handled by Bristol agency Bray Leino.
The new commercial is part of the new campaign for Thatchers Gold that reinforces the passion for the art of cidermaking that has been at the heart of the Thatcher family business for more than 111 years.
Managing director Martin Thatcher said: “Here at Thatchers we take the art of cider making seriously every step of the way, and our Friday tasting in particular has become somewhat legendary.
“This new commercial is explaining why we take our tastings so seriously – really focussing on our values, the authenticity of our brand, and our dedication to the art of cidermaking, great taste and perfection.”
In June, Thatchers launched a new outdoor billboard campaign, What Cider’s Supposed To Taste Like, featuring the new creative which is also now featured on the company’s delivery fleet.
