Written by Shona Smith on Apr 7, 2021. Posted in On Location

Swarovski brings sparkle to iconic Kyiv locations

Filmed in iconic Kyiv locations and on mind-bending sets, the futuristic Swarovski Wonderlab spot is one of Family Productions’ most ambitious servicing projects to date.

“Wonderlab” is part of Swarovski’s rebrand, from classic diamond seller to a futuristic “Wonderlab” of crystals where science, magic and elegance meet.

Directed by Terrance Neale of Park Pictures for General Idea Agency, the diamond-studded spot stars Game of Thrones and Star Wars star Gwendoline Christie, Queen’s Gambit actress Isla Johnston and fashion model Adwoa Aboah.

Filming took place over four days, with over 150kg of Swarovski crystals used during the production. Over 100 suitcases containing costumes were flown in from different parts of the world. The crew itself consisted of two hundred members from thirty-five countries including the USA, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, South Africa and Sweden.

All of this was achieved under Covid-19 regulations. “It was important for us to prove that a project of this level can be done in Ukraine safely and quickly even during a pandemic. To do this, we divided the set into different zones, provided testing and other safety tools for the whole crew. Safety protocols were even supported by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and can be seen in our Covideo” says Family Production.

“We are very inspired by the fact that a brand of such a level has filmed a rebranding commercial in Ukraine with Family Production. Working with top actors like Gwendoline Christie is every producer's dream. The conditions of the pandemic threw us some new challenges, but it was all the more interesting to overcome them. We are glad to share the result of this work, and we hope that Swarovski's ad will reopen Ukraine for other great projects”, explains Family executive producer Anastasiya Bukovska.

Ukraine is a popular advertising destination, with a 25+5% cash rebate applies to high end advertising work as well as TV and feature film. 

Director: Terence Neale
DOP: Darren Lew
Agency: General Idea
Serviced for: Park Pictures