Superstar soccer player Andres Iniesta dominiates the midfield in this spot but mostly in the form of a string puppet moving about on a miniature soccer field as created by Aardman Animations for Wieden+Kennedy, London. The twist is surpassed by another involving who’s pulling the strings–instead of a hand, we see that the strings are being manipulated by a foot which wears, like Iniesta, Nike’s new shoe, the CTR 369 Maestri III.
CreditsAgency: Wieden+Kennedy | London Anders Stake, Stuart Harkness, creatives; Michelle Brough, producer. Production Company: Aardman Animations Patrick Boivin, director/storyboard/animation; Jason Fletcher-Bartholomew, producer; Maggie O๏ฟฝConnor, production coordinator; Jay Clarke, storyboard; Grant Maisey, animation; Ben Barrrowman, floor mgr; Sam Morris, DP; Joe Maxwell, camera assistant; Nat Sale, electrician; Nick Herbert, rigging; Cool Rain, models; Sion Lane, set; Jim Lewis, CGI supervisor; Jim Lewis, Paule Quinton, Bram Ttwheam, Mike Shirra, Owen Revell, Andy Hunwick, Fincher Trist, compositing.
The Best Work You May Never See: Director Dan French, Elemental Go By The Numbers For Meridian Bank
For North American bank Meridian and Toronto-based ad agency Elemental, Dan French directed this spot depicting a dystopian world populated by nameless folk. Itโs a society in which thereโs no personalized identity. Rather people are referred to by their account numbers, making the commercial--titled โWorld of Numbersโ--a metaphor for the impersonal treatment some larger banks give their customers. By contrast, thereโs a human-based, community-centric spirit provided by regional bank Meridian.
Produced by Impossible Studios, Toronto, in collaboration with Elemental, French (whoโs repped by Stink Films in the U.S. and U.K.) sought to build a highly crafted and stylized world with depth. Through intricate set builds and choreographed cinematography, he constructed a narrative to transmit the somber energy behind a nameless society. Casting was a fun but rigorous task. French and his team set out to find a diverse group of people to accurately represent todayโs public, while also collectively portraying a lack of identity and sense of confusion. Weโre confronted with a series of familiar scenarios that are thrown off by the โworld of numbers.โ
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