The Michelin Man comes to the rescue in “Evil Gas Pump,” an animated :30 that finds the residents of a town victimized by an evil gas pump that sucks all of the money out of their wallets. That is, until the Michelin Man arrives on the scene and provides everyone with Michelin tires designed to promote fuel efficiency. Our hero actually pulls the tires right out of his own mid-section–he is made of tires, after all–and tosses them like Frisbees to motorists in need. A voiceover and onscreen text points out that Michelin energy saver A/S tires can help save up to 109 gallons of fuel.
Part of Michelin’s first-ever global advertising campaign, “Evil Gas Pump” was created by the New York office of TBWAChiatDay, and directed by PSYOP, New York. “The intent is to encourage consumers to think twice about their tire purchase,” Michelin marketing communications manager Lisa Hickey explained, noting, “By using strong claims that shatter consumer complacency–saving 109 gallons of gas–we believe we can break through in a compelling and persuasive manner.”
“Evil Gas Pump” is the first of three animated spots (PSYOP is currently in production on the other two) that demonstrate the attributes of Michelin tires and reinforce the Michelin Man’s image, TBWAChiatDay chairman/CCO Mark Figliulo shared. According to recent research, while the Michelin Man (known as Bibendum in his native France and elsewhere) is an iconic figure around the globe, people have begun to lose a sense of what he’s all about. “We did hear from people that they didn’t know the Michelin Man was made out of tires,” Figliulo said.
Hence the decision to show the character literally pulling tires from his body. Thankfully, the Michelin Man doesn’t destroy himself in the process because his body simply regenerates the tires that have been removed. Pretty cool, huh?
Of course, it would be extremely difficult to depict this extraordinary feat in a live-action spot. But, well, you can do anything with animation, and TBWAChiatDay joined forces with PSYOP to create the Michelin Man’s fantastical 3-D world. “We tried to create something that hasn’t been seen before,” according to PSYOP’s Marie Hyon, who, along with Marco Spier, served as creative director on the project.
Seeking longevity TBWAChiatDay contacted PSYOP about this project last year, initiating a lengthy design and development process which was needed, said Hyon, “because we were not only creating a world for this spot, but a world that would have longevity.”
“We needed to create a world for Bib that could be used in other media,” Spier added. “That’s a trend we’re seeing in advertising in general. It’s not just making one spot–it’s creating a world around certain things, creating assets that are media independent and can be used in different ways.”
Ultimately, the PSYOP crew built the spot’s 3-D world using Maya, adding matte paintings (done in-house at PSYOP) for some of the background elements to create a world made up of 3-D and illustrative items that is both painterly and photorealistic.
One of the most challenging parts of the process was being sure to create a world that didn’t feel country-specific given that the spot is playing around the globe: Look closely, and you’ll see that the drivers are all seated in the middle of their vehicles, and they all drive down the middle of the road.
The Michelin Man is the same character we’ve seen over the years, although now in a new light in this spot. “We wanted to get him more heroic than we’re used to seeing him–less cutesy and more cool,” TBWAChiatDay associate creative director/art director Anthony DeCarolis said.
Think Clint Eastwood in those old spaghetti westerns–yes, Eastwood was an influence, according to TBWAChiatDay associate creative director/copywriter Erik Fahrenkopf. “Here’s this world where no one has Michelin tires, and then the Michelin Man sort of strolls in and fixes everything, makes it right,” Fahrenkopf shared.
Meanwhile, the crew at PSYOP took inspiration from b-movies in creating the Evil Gas Pump character as a monster who felt really evil.
Figliulo credited PSYOP with coming up with the idea of having the Evil Gas Pump steal money from an old lady, by the way. Who worse to rob than an elderly woman? “They gave her a bit more screen time, and it was a nice touch,” Figliulo remarked.
Human touch TBWAChiatDay instructed Human, New York, to compose a contemporary, driving music track to accompany the commercial.
“We went against the animated convention,” Figliulo said. “It’s a not the cliché animated track. We didn’t want this to come off as a kids’ cartoon.”
While the music is about as far as you can get from a goofy cartoon track, the color palette featured in the spot is dark and sophisticated.
“We wanted this to be an animated spot that adults could appreciate and enjoy,” Figliulo stressed.
“So with a lot of these decisions, we were trying to be different and create a look and feel that had a little bit more edge to it.”
