Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick of Psyop directed this animation PSA designed to educate automobile, SUV and truck drivers about the effects they have on each other. Animated icons were created to follow and express the emotions of drivers as they commuted.
New Zealand’s Transportation Authority wanted to connect drivers to more than just their roads. Psyop and Clemenger BBDO Wellington, NZ, took viewers along for the ride.
“The painterly qualities of this world really appealed to the team, and we were thrilled to be working on a purely animation project,” noted Matulick. “The story is one that all audiences can relate to, whether they’re road warriors or casual commuters.”
“Emoticons” endorses friendly driving etiquette by showing how courteous driving habits can yield positive effects on the roadways and lead to fewer accidents. Promoting this kind of respectful driving through the use of visual cues, the Psyop design team worked closely to finesse the handmade aesthetic throughout the spot.
“Representing certain driving experiences was an exciting creative exercise,” said Matulick. “We were able to craft these little, individual stories about how driving by yourself is really a social experience and that happiness begets happiness, especially where driving is concerned.”
Kamala Harris Receives Chairman’s Prize At NAACP Image Awards
Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on the NAACP Image Awards stage Saturday night with a sobering message, calling the civil rights organization a pillar of the Black community and urging people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during the tenure of President Donald Trump.
"While we have no illusions about what we are up against in this chapter in our American story, this chapter will be written not simply by whoever occupies the oval office nor by the wealthiest among us," Harris said after receiving the NAACP's Chairman's Award. "The American story will be written by you. Written by us. By we the people."
The 56th annual Image Awards was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in the Los Angeles area.
Harris, defeated by Trump in last year's presidential election, was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as vice president. She had previously been a U.S. senator from California and the state's attorney general.
In her first major public appearance since leaving office, Harris did not reference her election loss or Trump's actions since entering the Oval Office, although Trump mocked her earlier in the day at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Harris spoke about eternal vigilance, the price of liberty, staying alert, seeking the truth and America's future.
"Some see the flames on our horizons, the rising waters in our cities, the shadows gathering over our democracy and ask 'What do we do now?'" Harris said. "But we know exactly what to do, because we have done it before. And we will do it again. We use our power. We organize, mobilize. We educate. We advocate. Our power has never come from having an easy path."
Other winners of the Chairman's prize have included former... Read More