Finnish business insurer, LähiTapiola, has teamed up with YouTube star, Lauri Vuohensilta of the Hydraulic Press Channel, for an explosive new video.
Lauri, who has over 1.5 million YouTube followers worldwide, is famous for his videos which see him crush random objects under a powerful hydraulic press.
Previously annihilated items include a PlayStation, diamond, typewriter, bowl of fruit and a Rubix Cube.
Created by creative agency, hasan & partners, the work features a one-and-a-half minute long humorous video of Lauri as he attempts to crush a box of matches, then a single gas lighter, before he ends with a pack of lighters.
Unfortunately for Lauri, the collection of lighters unexpectedly explode and the resultant fireball engulfs Lauri’s arm in flames. He is then heard shouting out of shot of the camera, before one of his team douses him with an extinguisher.
The video then explains that Lauri and 270,000 other Finnish entrepreneurs like him face unexpected dangers every day, and they should take care of safety and insurance at work.
The film ends with a final warning that this was a controlled stunt and don’t try it at home.
This is the first time that Lauri, who’s been featured in major publications around the world including the Washington Post, Gizmodo and the London Metro newspaper, has worked with a Finnish brand on this scale.
Mikael Nemeschansky, creative director at hasan & partners, comments: “We’ve aimed for a very authentic look and feel with the video, mirroring Lauri’s regular production style. After the shock of Lauri catching fire, we then present the viewer with the a serious message that relates back to the product.”
“LähiTapiola’s core audience of small business owners is really hard to target, and so we wanted to avoid simply ‘selling insurance’. Instead, we’ve created a public service announcement-cum-advert that’s humorous yet packs a serious message.”
Lauri Vuohensilta adds: “Safety at work is an issue close to my heart. Accidents can happen when you least expect them and so I felt this was an important story to tell. In addition, the idea was exciting and the video fits well with my channel.”
The video was produced in conjunction with Lauri Vuohensilta and hasan & partners’ production company, hasan motion.