Droga5 New York created this “Amani” campaign which reflects Meta’s potential to bring people together.
Centerpiece of the campaign is this short film directed by Illimité World (French for “Limitless World”) which consists of two directors of color–Aus Taylor and Marleaux Desiré. “The world is y(ours)” is a mantra used by the native-Baltimore directorial duo, using it as a reminder that each artistic offering is a view into the world of their imaginations. The directors are adept at combining a mix of classical cinema, creative animation and raw documentary style filmmaking.
Turned out by production company Love Song, the “Amani” short tells the story of 12 young African cyclists who have come together to compete in the global cycling scene–shining a light on the next generation of cyclists to show how Meta’s future vision for shared, immersive experiences in the metaverse has the potential to break down barriers universally.
Love Song partner/director/EP Daniel Wolfe, who also exec produced Meta’s award-winning and Emmy-nominated film “Skate Nation Ghana,” served again as EP on the “Amani” film. A mentor to many young directors, he collaborated closely with Illimité World to capture the riders competing in the metaverse with a blend of both striking visuals and human depth.
CreditsClient Meta Agency Droga5 NY David Droga, creative chairman; Scott Bell, chief creative officer; Thom Glover, executive creative director; Ted Meyer, Jason Gold, creative directors; Ben Brown, Benjamin Hinamanu, sr. copywriters; Ben Muckensturm, sr. art director; Nate Scott, executive design director; Mark Yoon, group design director; Kenisha Rullan, designer; Mike Hasinoff, executive producer, film; Scotty Schuckies, sr. producer, film; Mel Calabro, producer, film; Matt Mintz, associate producer, film; Mike Ladman, sr. music supervisor; Brandy Ricker, music supervisor; Mara Techam, jr. music supervisor; Harry Roman-Torres, Diana Gonzalez, group brand strategy directors; Anthony Perez, brand strategy director; Ellie Frame, sr. brand strategist; Mariel Calara, associate brand strategist; Andy Littlewood, chief knowledge officer; Sean La’Brooy, sr. data strategist. Production Company Love Song Illimité World (French for “Limitless World,” consisting of Aus Taylor and Marleaux Desiré); Daniel Wolfe, partner/exec producer; Diego Garcia, Shawn Peters, DPs. Kelly Bayett, managing partner/exec producer; Deannie O’Neil, exec producer; Paige Kauffman, head of production; Leah Donnenberg, producer; Alejandro Ramia, Kristina Ilyina, 1st assistant directors; Bee Diamondhead, stylist; Andrew Clark, production designer. Production Services Company (Kenya) Blue Sky Films Hemal Shah, exec producer. Production Services Company (South Africa) Monkey Films Clare van Zyl, owner/exec producer; Phillip Killingbeck, head of production. Editorial Marsheen Dominic Leung, Amber Saunders, editors; Matthew Blacklock, assistant editor; Harriet Cawley, exec producer. Color Company 3 Simon Bourne, colorist; Chris Anthony, sr. color producer. VFX The Mill Dan Williams, executive creative director; Carl Norton, creative director & 2D lead; Edward Shires, Dan Moore, Nuno Pereira, Adam Droy, 3D lead; Matt McDougal, Gustavo Ribeiro, Rafael Vormittag, Zoe Cosh, 2D artists; Artur Drozdowicz, Arnab Bhattacharya, Aman Jain, Ben Beckett, Callum Austin, Charles Vidaud, Giacomo Cavalletti, Hannah Bahyan, Joao Pires, Katie Bates, Kieran Russell, Kapil Rana, Luke Frampton, Sandeep Grover, Vaclav Cizkovsky, Thomas Craig, Shravan Srikanth, Dinesh B, Jyoti Prakash Panda, Thirumoorthi Sivakumar, Swathi M S, Roman Vrbovsky, Praveen Sharma, Pol Escale Cabre, Petroc Menuhin, Paul Autric, Paul Tempelman, 3D artists; Kwok Lam, Adam Roche, Barry Chapman, Can Y Sanalan, Freya Barnsley, Henrik Holmberg, Daphne Westelynck, design; Caitlin Donaldson, Rory Leighton, color assist; Clare Melia, exec producer; Nicola Simmons, producer; Tarun Misra, line producer; David Wishart, Gavin Marler, finish artists. Title Designs & Typography Fraser Muggeridge studio. Music Supervision Curation Music Sunny Kapoor, music supervisor. Recording Studio (Kenya) Hiventy Sound Design Barking Owl Gus Koven, sound designer; Kelly Bayett, creative director; Ashley Benton, exec producer. Music “Ffe basajja ba Kabaka” Bobcat Goldwav, remix Additional Sound Design & Mix King Lear Music & Sound Ed Downham, sound designer & mixer.
Top Spot of the Week: Director Jake Scott, Paramount Brand Studios “Make Your Gameday Epic” In “Gladiator II”-Inspired Pepsi Spot
Nearly 20 years after Pepsi’s “Roman Empire” made its mark on pop culture, the brand is returning to the arena with a colossal Gladiator-themed campaign titled, “Make Your Gameday Epic™.” Celebrating the start of the 2024 NFL season and the highly anticipated release of Paramount Pictures’ Gladiator II in theaters on Nov. 22, this short film--directed by Jake Scott via RSA Films for Paramount Brand Studio features Megan Thee Stallion, as Empress Megan, leading a legion of NFL superstars turned Gridiron Gladiators, including Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, Justin Jefferson and Travis Kelce, locked in an epic battle with ice-cold Pepsi at the heart of the action. A brand-new gameday anthem from three-time, Grammy award-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion soundtracks the campaign. The unmistakable “boom, boom, clap” from Queen’s epic track “We Will Rock You” is featured on a fresh sample with cutting new lyrics from Megan. The new track became available on all major music streaming platforms, and ahead of Megan hosting the 2024 MTV VMAs last night (9.11), where the track and music-video inspired spot were heard and seen throughout the show. “I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of the legends who appeared in this Gladiator campaign 20 years ago and proud to have carved my own new legacy,” said Megan Thee Stallion. “Pepsi really brought the worlds of music, sports and entertainment together in a powerful way to set off the new NFL season.” The spot opens with Lamorne Morris and Jake Lacy peering into a can of Pepsi Zero Sugar as it transforms into a colosseum. Empress Megan calls the shots, and the royal roster of NFL players are at her command as they all vie for her favor and a sip of an ice-cold Pepsi... Read More