M&C Saatchi North America partners with Alturas Films to create a new campaign for the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey exhibit. Created through a combination of CG and live action elements, the new work features two Columbian mammoths that live in Southern California 12,000 years ago.
“Phil” and “Harry”, two mammoth friends, star in a series of television spots that humorously show life’s specific difficulties during the Pleistocene era. In one spot the duo mistake a tar pit for a mud bath and in another we find them teasing the neighborhood “kitty”, which is actually a saber-tooth cat.
“Being able to use humor with a serious subject like extinct and endangered animals is a challenge, but M&C Saatchi hit just the right tone,” said Ted Molter, director of marketing for the San Diego Zoo. “Because of their relationships, the non-profit San Diego Zoo was able to support the opening of Elephant Odyssey – our biggest exhibit ever – with Hollywood-caliber production.”
The two television spots came to life under the guidance of director Ruairi Robinson of Alturas Films with animation from The Moving Picture Company (MPC), which has created imagery for many commercials and films such as “10,000 B.C.”.
“I wanted to make the mammoths as characters, not caricatures,” said Robinson, “and have them behave in a way that’s subtle and natural, so it’s funny without trying too hard to be funny.”
To view spots please click here.
Creative Credits
Agency: M&C Saatchi North America
Creative Director: Martin Dix
Art Director: Sean Ohlenkamp
Copywriter: Maria Smith
Agency Producer: Rebecca Silverstein
Director: Ruairi Robinson
Production Company: Alturas Films
Executive Producer: Marshall Rawlings
Producer: Roger Hunt
Effects: Moving Picture Company
Editorial: Chrome, Adam Parker
Sound: Lime Studios, Sam Casas
About Alturas Films
Established by Marshall Rawlings in 2004 Alturas Films, is a dynamic company, blends directorial talent from the feature world with the commercial world. Armed with a unique roster of diversely creative directors and solid relationships with advertising agencies and corporate clients, Alturas is pushing-the-envelope in the world of advertising, music and film production.
Alturas Films has produced award winning work for Goodby, W+K, McCann, Venables/Bell, Leo Burnett as well as Nike, Sprint, General Mills, and Wal Mart to name a few.
