Taylor Steele of Bully Pictures directed this documentary short chronicling professional big wave surfer Ian Walsh’s quest to find a wave that had never been surfed before–a ghost wave. Walsh deployed the HP Pavilion x360 hybrid notebook/tablet to help him find surfing nirvana.
“Technology and surfing might seem like an odd pairing until you realize how much big wave surfers use and depend on technology to track down these monster waves,” said William Gelner, chief creative officer of 180LA, the agency behind the short and the overall “#BendTheRules” campaign to show how a computer that bends in half (the x360 has a 360-degree hinge) can help people bend the rules of what’s possible.
Credits
Client Hewlett-Packard Agency 180LA William Gelner, executive creative director; Adam Groves, Zac Ryder, creative directors; Mike Van Linda, copywriter; Brandon Sides, art director; Natasha Wellesley, head of production; David Emery, sr. producer. Production Bully Pictures Taylor Steele, director; Starr Whitesides, camera; Jeff Tannebring, producer. Editorial Whitehouse Post Brandon Porter, editor; Evan Cunningham, producer; Joni Williamson, exec producer. Post/VFX Carbon VFX Peter Mayer, lead Flame; Marlo Baird Kinsey, exec producer; Nick Vassil, associate producer.
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The filmโs protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a childโs life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace โ Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the โBullying-Free Schoolsโ program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
โResearch indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
