Aardman Animations has joined forces with London ad agency isobel to create a whimsical campaign for shopping center Bullring in the U.K. town of Birmingham.
Building on the equity of the “Life’s Even More Exciting at The Centre” positioning, the new campaign features a four-tier revolving mechanical model–a quirky, playful interpretation of Bullring and Birmingham. An array of products including lipsticks, illuminated ladles, cheese graters and perfume sit alongside a number of recognizable architectural landmarks including the iconic Selfridges building which, in “Bullring land,” is clad in buttons.
Rob Fletcher, creative partner at isobel, said, “We wanted to show a world full of delight and joy–to capture the many and varied facets of Bullring and to communicate its position as the heart of Birmingham.” (Fletcher served as art director on the campaign, teaming with copywriter David Alexander.)
The campaign, which launches the “We Are So City” slogan, will feature 12 different executions each capturing a different shopping experience; season; event and/or festival. The campaign, which debuted on Monday (8/27), will include: TV, outdoor, press, advertorials, digital and in-store. For outdoor, isobel have worked closely with Aurasma, an augmented reality platform, to bring the creative executions to virtual life.
On choosing to work with director/photographer/illustrator Daniel Cohen of Aardman, Fletcher related, “We knew we wanted to take a different approach with this campaign and Aardman were the obvious partners….They understand the essence of ‘playfulness’ and ‘adventure’ which is key to the execution. The mechanical model has the magical, ‘characterful’ quality we hoped it would and they have an uncanny knack of rendering the ordinary extraordinary and smacking a big fat smile on your face in the process”.
The model, which consists of four contra rotating discs with miniature models and buildings interspersed with a host of desirable products, proved a perfect challenge for Aardman, known for its modelmaking prowess. The craft-led model build of the “We Are So City” world allowed Aardman’s Cohen to get in touch with his inner child. “I always like making worlds and try to imagine where I would want to live in that place,” said Cohen. “I kind of just think like a child…that’s what I really feel lucky to be able to do–then there’s no right or wrong.” Here are the TV spot and a making-of video:
Director Lu Villaca Joins MADRE
Production company MADRE has added Brazilian director Lu Villaça to its talent roster. With degrees in cinema and performance and a master’s in screenwriting, Villaça brings a multifaceted approach to filmmaking. Villaça’s tastes have been shaped by her childhood training in ballet, studying Greek theatre texts, her passion for music, and her contemplative nature. She honed her cinematic skills early on as an AD and creative assistant before becoming a director. Intent on capturing the drama of everyday life as it plays out, Villaça is tuned in to how the bodies in her frame move through their environments and what elements of the story can be extrapolated from these compositions. Her sharp attention to detail in every aspect, from lighting to the final edit, is designed to connect emotionally with her audience. Villaça has been awarded three Cannes Lions for her film “Next Minute Law,” which promoted awareness of a law in Brazil designed to address the rampant epidemic of sexual violence. “Next Minute Law” also garnered Best Direction at El Ojo and the Ciclope Latino Festival, where Villaça also won Best New Talent. Additionally, she has directed assorted commercial campaigns for brands like Johnnie Walker, Huggies Wipes, Nestlé, Amazon, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, and a spot for Medley featuring Brazilian Olympic gymnast Rebeca Andrade. Prior to joining MADRE, Villaca had been repped by production house LOBO. Recognized in Brazil as a top music video director, Villaca won Best Female Direction for her work on “Nu” by Assucena and “Lovezinho” by Rachel Reis, which also won Best National Music Video at the MVF Awards. Villaça additionally co-directed the documentary Pagliacci, an homage to circus artist Domingos Montagner... Read More