Human Energy Meets Hybrid Innovation with MediaMarkt’s Rap-Fuelled Black November World
The briefing for MediaMarkt/Saturn’s 2025 Black November campaign presented a challenge that would traditionally demand weeks of set construction or virtual development. The concept, developed by Saatchi & Saatchi, was centred on a high-energy rap video contrasting a grey and unsaturated ‘NO-World’ with a vibrant, service-oriented ‘YO-World.’ To make this narrative work, TPF didn't just need one location. TPF needed a multitude of futuristic store environments to match the fast-paced, rhythmic editing of the track.
The constraints were clear: one shooting day, multiple cast members - some being MediaMarkt’s own employees - and dozens of required settings. The TPF team realised that traditional set building was logistically unfeasible, and a full CGI post-production pipeline would lack the immediate, tactile energy and speed the director BODE was looking for. TPF needed a third option, a workflow that offered the speed of a physical shoot with the infinite variability of digital creation. Stephan Brockmann, executive producer at TPF, emphasised this strategic decision, “AI is a multiplier for creativity, not a substitute for humanity. The heart of this campaign is the connection between the brand and the customer, and that spark only happens between real people. We use technology to build the stage, but we rely on humans to deliver the performance.”
The Genesis of the 'Hybrid-AI' Workflow
TPF opted for an AI-Hybrid Production model. Unlike standard Virtual Production setups that rely heavily on complex 3D Unreal Engine environments, TPF developed a streamlined approach focused on high-volume asset generation and photographic integration. With a specialised team of artists, TPF began the process long before the cameras rolled. Using BODE’s mood boards as a stylistic reference and generated thousands of iterations of futuristic retail spaces. This wasn't just about creating "cool backgrounds“, it was about curating a specific architectural language that fit the brand. From those iterations, TPF narrowed the selection down to the best 100 for technical testing, eventually selecting 27 unique environments for the final film.
Immersion Through Light, Not Just Pixels
The core of this production’s success lay in the integration of the digital assets with the physical set. TPF mapped the AI-generated environments onto a large scale LED volume. However, simply projecting an image is not enough to sell the illusion. The LED wall served as the primary light source, casting complex, realistic reflections onto the products, shelves and the faces of the protagonists. Combined with an AI-modified ceiling panel, TPF ensured that the digital world physically interacted with the real world. Director BODE and DoP Timothy Sedgewick utilised this setup to maintain a high level of agility. Changes to the background didn't require a big construction crew or complex changes in the 3D environment, they required a few clicks and a different prompt. This allowed the direction to focus entirely on the performance of the cast grounding the futuristic visuals in genuine human emotion.
A Calculated Trade-Of
In the spirit of transparency, it is important to address the technical nuance of this approach. This was not a 3D-tracked environment with real-time parallax. Working with 2.5D generative assets on an LED wall comes with physical limitations. Without camera tracking, the perspective of the background remains static relative to the camera movement. For a slow-paced drama requiring long, sweeping tracking shots, this method would reach its limits. However, for the Black November campaign, this limitation was a calculated creative choice. The aesthetic of a rap video, characterised by fast cuts, dynamic gimbal movements, and shallow depth of field, meant that the lack of deep parallax was imperceptible. The focus remained on the energy and the talent. TPF deliberately chose efficiency and variety over 3D perfection. This decision allowed TPF to deliver a production value that looked exponentially more valuable than the budget and schedule should have allowed.
Another strategic advantage of TPF’s workflow became evident in the international rollout. MediaMarkt operates in several countries, and the campaign needed to resonate locally in each one. In a traditional production, capturing these exterior shots with localised signage for every market would have meant shooting different physical versions or facing a nightmare of tracking and rotoscoping in post. Instead, TPF utilised fully AI-generated establishing and wide shots as well as B Roll shots, that served the edit. Since these environments were already prompted into existence, adapting them for local markets was not a reshoot, it was a regeneration. TPF simply swapped the signage within the AI generation process. The English "No Store" became "Sklep NaNie" for Poland or "Tienda No" for Spain.
The Black November project serves as a blueprint for how TPF approaches innovation. The TPF team believes the future of production isn't about replacing filmmakers with algorithms. It is about giving filmmakers tools that match their imagination. We are entering an era where the size of a set is no longer defined by square metres, but by creative vision. However, this power comes with responsibility. As this project proved, the role of the producer is more vital than ever to act as the guardian of quality, ensuring that these powerful new tools are used to elevate the craft, not dilute it. This hybrid workflow enabled TPF to solve a massive logistical problem without compromising the visual ambition of the director or the agency. TPF didn't just turn "NO" into "YO" for the campaign, TPF did the same for the production process itself.
