Welcome to retro Shangri la, reflecting the style and spirit of circa 1940s’ animation when sweetness reigned supreme. Dutch star Wendy van Dijk, shot in live action, shares the screen with a cute, cuddly adorable collection of animated woodland creatures who frolic in colorful foliage during a beautiful summer day in the country. Indeed all is right with the world as van Dijk shares quality time with flora and fauna, including a happy go-lucky bird who flies onto her hand, a pair of friendly squirrels, and some bunnies.
However, something goes terribly amiss, albeit it just for a fleeting moment, in this sugary scenario when a truck carrying Lay’s Potato Chips enters the picture, coming on fast in the direction of a colt who’s playing on the road. An expression of terror flashes across the horse’s face. The truck swerves to avoid the animal, hitting a fence post and causing bags of new improved Lay’s paprika chips to pour onto the road and fly into the hands of the nearby van Dijk.
She tastes a chip and is immediately delighted. Then we’re back to joyous perfection when the colt emerges unscathed from a big pile of Lay’s Chips. Van Dijk and the truck driver chomp on some chips together, thoroughly enjoying the snack.
This combo traditional 2-D animation/live-action spot, which is airing in the Netherlands and Belgium, was directed by Aaron Sorenson of animation studio Laika/house, Portland, Ore., for FHV/BBDO Netherlands.
“The twist in the story really makes this spot unique and fun,” said Sorenson who also served as character designer, storyboard/layout/key animation artist. “The animation emulates the high-quality of work and sweep appearance of cartoons from the 1940s, but this spot has a dark side that messes with established expectations.”
The FHV/BBDO team consisted of creative director Rohan Young, art director Jennifer Farrington, writer Tiffany Davenport and producer Niko Koot.
The Laika/house ensemble included executive producer/producer Jan Johnson, art director Jenny Kincade, live-action supervisor Mike Wellins, editor Michael Corrigan, Flame artist Rex Carter, CG animation artist Adrian Grey and background painter Gary Cooper.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More