Digitas Singapore, in collaboration with Heckler Singapore, has unveiled an animated universe in this music video, “Undefeated,” for the globally popular video game VALORANT and K-pop girl group XG.
The “Undefeated” music video serves as a prelude to the highly anticipated VALORANT Champions Tour Pacific, a key event in the esports calendar. This tour, which features top-level competitive gaming and teams from across Asia Pacific, is a testament to the strategic gameplay and strong community connections that VALORANT is known for, attracting a global fan base.
The music video unfolds in a culturally vibrant setting, urging individuals to defy fate and shape their own destinies. Drawing inspiration from the region’s fascination with fortune-telling, the video follows a protagonist who, despite being advised by a fortune teller to accept a bleak fate, chooses to fight against the forces of nature with the support of teammates. This narrative echoes the resilience and courage that the VALORANT Champions Tour Pacific aims to embody, making the music video a dynamic promotional tool for the upcoming esports tournament series in South Korea.
Digitas Singapore, which is part of Publicis Groupe Singapore, led the conceptualization and creative direction of “Undefeated,” a collaborative project with Riot Games, the developers of VALORANT, and XG, with Cody Amos directing via Heckler Singapore. Together, the teams meticulously crafted over 80 shots featuring 10 distinct cityscapes, seamlessly blending intricate 3D environments with hand-drawn cel animation.
Dee Reyes, creative director at Digitas Singapore, said, “When we crafted the storyline for this year’s VCT Pacific music video, we needed a partner to breathe life into our vision. We were committed to delivering a concept that resonated with VALORANT players, gamers, as well as VCT Pacific and XG fans alike. Cody and the Heckler team attended to every detail we outlined, showcasing unparalleled dedication and excellence.”
Heckler creative director Amos shared insights into the project’s creative process and anime-inspired aesthetics, “A key aspect of the project was finding the perfect aesthetic–a visually captivating world with subtle nods to familiar landscapes yet imbued with a distinct, alternate reality. Together with Digitas Singapore, we delved into the intricacies of the storyline, refining the narrative arc to encapsulate themes of friendship, resilience, and triumph.”
CreditsClient Riot Games Agency Digitas Singapore Dee Reyes, creative director; Imran Chaudhry, associate creative director; Benjamin Tan, sr. art director; Qianhui Tan, art director; Nicole Fang, copywriter; Kit Yee Chow, sr. producer. Production/VFX/Animation Heckler Singapore Cody Amos, director; Charu Menon, exec producer; Xinhui Zheng, sr. VFX producer; Sam Schwier, CG lead; Davor Zec, compositing lead; Kepa Casado, Toby Lewin, Yong Soon Ong, Nizam Mohammed & Shazni Muhammad, 3D artists. 2D Character Animation Drasik Studio Zackery Wang, Craig Woo, edit/motion design/IO; Abdul Wahid, Danielle Melianti, storyboard atists. Music “Undefeated” sung by XG (JURIN, CHISA, HINATA, HARVEY, JURIA, MAYA, COCONA)
The Best Work You May Never See: United Sense of America, Directing Duo rubberband. Hunt Down Assault Weapons In “The Fawn”
This PSA titled “The Fawn” is from United Sense of America, a bipartisan coalition whose mission is to turn common sense and common ground into public policy. “The Fawn” was concepted and created by production company SMUGGLER in partnership with New York-based agency American Haiku and Austin-based agency Preacher. Written by American Haiku ECD Thom Glover and directed by the SMUGGLER duo rubberband., the film was designed as a common sense rallying cry aimed at the hunting community, questioning the need for assault weapons--in hunting and beyond that in our society generally. In light of the recent tragic high school shooting in Georgia, this message takes on a poignant urgency and underscores the need to craft progressive reform policy. The film, painful and seemingly unavoidable, forces the viewer to imagine someone else’s finger on the trigger and something else as its target. A voiceover initially seems to be talking about a fawn who is in plain view. But instead the VO turns out to be referring to the weapon which will claim the animal’s life. While the scene itself is graphic, the messaging is matter of fact. United Sense of America contends there simply is no defensible reason or excuse for assault weapons being necessary for sports hunting--and certainly not in mainstream society which includes our children’s schools. Glover said, “Every line in the film came from online discussions and conversations. Hunters are no different from the rest of us; the way people buy assault weapons is the same as the way they buy a refrigerator. We have to find a way to challenge this situation that doesn’t paint all gun owners as monsters, because they’re not.” [video width="1920" height="1080"... Read More