The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) approached us with a clear challenge: Help us attract the next generation of pest professionals and dispel the outdated notion that pest control is simply about “chasing rats!”
The truth is far more compelling. Pest control is an essential service rooted in protecting people, properties and businesses, and those already in the field find the work deeply rewarding. Yet the industry was struggling to recruit both young starters and career-changers who were unaware of its purpose, variety and impact.
We knew the campaign needed to be striking, playful and scroll-stopping, something to cut through the noise on multiple platforms.
Alongside the film work, BPCA also needed a dedicated online destination for the campaign. We created a microsite that showcased the message clearly and confidently. Our team handled the design, layout, and build so BPCA could give potential recruits a focused digital touchpoint that supported the outreach activity.
The creative question was simple: How do you show the day-to-day life of a pest controller in under 60 seconds?
During early scoping with BPCA, one insight that they held stood out: Pest controllers love the sheer variety of places they get to work, from farms to factories, football stadiums to family homes, along with the flexibility that their role offers.
Our well structured scoping process produced several concepts spotlighting these “key values.” But one concept stood head and thorax above the rest… which we had called “Split the Difference.”
In this concept, the pest controller’s van is the constant at centre stage whilst the world around our hero pest controller shifts from location to location. This approach was visually dynamic, fast-paced, and allowed moving image to do the talking.
The film follows our central pest controller as she steps seamlessly from scene to scene, meeting customers who each have a very real problem only she can solve: A café forced to close, a dangerous bee nest in a garage, a child’s birthday party at risk of cancellation… Each moment highlights the everyday heroism of the profession and the genuine satisfaction that comes from helping people.
We committed to filming the piece as a single continuous take from a locked-off camera position. With no edit cuts, all the movement, energy, and storytelling had to be carried by the actor and our real pest-controller extras. The result: an authentic, engaging viewer experience.
A Liquona favourite saying is that ‘Luck favours the well prepared!’ (So we were). We marked out a demo of the van dimensions in our office to test distances, angles, van size, camera height, lens type, script timings with walk distances, and the props and green-screen proportions. This step proved invaluable in ensuring the shoot ran smoothly on the day.
We booked in studios large enough to drive a van into and had the cyc wall painted chroma green the day before shooting.
Casting was also critical. We auditioned for a lead actor who could engage viewers, inspire confidence and deliver an entire script flawlessly in a single take. We also cast real pest controllers for the additional roles to maintain industry authenticity.
The most notable of genuine pest controllers to draft in was ‘Dracula’ the falcon, who couldn’t wait to get his claws on our script.
We curated and tested background imagery before the shoot, ensuring we could later enhance them with VFX movement in post-production. From planes taxiing across runways to shadows shifting and people subtly animated in cafés, every environment was brought to life to add depth and authenticity.
Directed by one of our own experienced film directors, Matt Day, the shoot day was a carefully orchestrated operation. This allowed the single take concept to work. Every performance, prop, and mark mattered. We rehearsed the crew and talent repeatedly, ensuring each person knew exactly where to be and when, because each slip would mean starting again. We achieved a true one-take wonder and it paid off.
Following a soft launch on BPCA’s website, the full social media campaign rolled out in January 2026, guided by a strategic plan which was drawn up by our talented marketing director, David Richter.
In addition to the hero film (delivered in 16:9, 9:16, and 1:1 formats), we produced 20 bespoke social shorts crafted from both the main film and additional creative concepts.
We also ran a social media activation campaign alongside the launch, managing posting schedules, community engagement, and ongoing optimisation to help BPCA reach the right audiences at the right moments.
See the website we produced at https://pestcareers.org.uk/
" Liquona helped us with such a fantastic script and a range of concepts to explore. The filming day was incredibly exciting - you don’t often get to stand inside a huge TV studio or behind a massive green screen. Seeing it all come to life and meeting all the professionals was amazing."
