In a world of busy advertisements – silence stands out.
In the fast-cut, sound-saturated world of broadcast and digital advertising, silence can lock in a viewer’s attention.
The 15 second spot “Difference” from the new Master Lock Master It campaign features a handgun lockbox by SentrySafe, part of Master Lock parent Fortune Brand Innovations’ security portfolio. Unlike so many videos vying for our attention, this one chooses minimalism over saturation to wield its message.
“Difference” has no voice over. No dramatic music. It starts with ambient sound — the rustle of wind, the distant sound of children playing— rising in intensity. A toy gun appears on the left. A real one to its right. Text below asks: “What’s the difference between these two guns?” The ambience rises to a crescendo and stops hard, right as the screen goes black. It is silence that underscores the message: “To a 5-year-old, there isn’t one”.
Sound returns with the quiet ambience of the bedroom and a deliberate click of the gun safe as it is locked and closed away in the night table drawer. The quiet says everything.
To be honest, as sound designers we like to fill up our audio mixes and hit everything, with door squeaks, footsteps, zips and whooshes. And yes, we tried adding other sound effects, more voices, heavy thumps, even music. They diluted the message. We took them out. (Thanks, Megan) Starkness was better.
In an era of loud claims and high-gloss production, Master Lock’s “Difference” reminds us that confidence doesn’t need to shout. And then, all it takes is the sound of a lock engaging — secure, final, and unmistakable.
Thanks to the Laughlin Constable creative team, Patrick Laughlin, Megan DeMeyer, Randall Kenworthy, Gable Mansfield, and editor Connor Weitz for reminding us of the power of using less.
Of the new Master It campaign, Chief Creative Officer Pat Laughlin said, “The campaign makes ‘master’ proactive—taking responsibility for your world.”
“While the gun safe wasn’t initially a lead product for the campaign launch, we couldn’t stop thinking about how Master Lock makes a product that can save lives,” Laughlin said. “This message felt like the responsible thing to put out there.” (Adweek)
I’m glad we let silence speak and I’m proud to have this message out there – cutting through the noise.