Ariston’s Aqualtis Washing Machine was advertised this year with a visually stunning television commercial, “Il mondo sommerso”, or “Underwater World”, stunning enough to win a Gold Lion at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in 2006 and the Grand Clio Award in 2007.

What appears to be a ray drifts through sunlit water. But wait, this is no sea creature. It’s fabric. An eel wends its way through the sleeve of a white woollen top. Blue fish with white spots swimming through the coral are in fact socks navigating their way through white shirt sleeves. Scarves wave their seaweed fronds as handkerchiefs double as jellyfish. A bra threatens to snap shut like a clam on a playful sock. A vest floats past like a turtle. A red silk scarf makes its way past white shoe laces.

Underwater World’ campaign was developed at advertising agency, Leo Burnett Italia, Milan, by creative directors Enrico Dorizza and Sergio Rodriguez, copywriter Francesco Simonetti, art director Antonio Cortesi, and agency producer Renato Lamberti.

Director Dario Piana worked with production company FilmMaster, Milan, Production Company, with producer Karim Bartoletti, director of photography Stefano Morcaldo and editor Michele Mortara.

Post production was done at BUF Paris, who host Underwater World as an 8 mb quicktime video.