Animation and visual FX studio Bent Image Lab has produced a spot for The Oregonian in newspaper stop-motion. Directed by Bent’s Solomon Burbridge with creative from Leopold Ketel & Partners, the ad aims to present The Oregonian’s new design and compact size.
The commercial features a broadsheet of The Oregonian newspaper being crumpled into a ball or “chrysalis”. The paper then transforms into an origami butterfly and then into the redesigned compact version of the paper. The butterfly and crumpled ball imagery will be used throughout the entire media campaign including digital, print and outdoor ads.
The newspaper shapes were created and animated by paper-artist Jen Prokopowicz. The music accompanying the spot is entitled “Convoluted Impulse” by McKenzie Stubbert.
Credits
Client The Oregonian Agency Leopold Ketel and Partners Jerry Ketel, creative director; Kevin Reynolds, sr. art director; Kelly Williams Brown, copywriter. Production Company Bent Image Lab, Portland, Ore. Solomon Burbridge, director; Ray DiCarlo, Tsui Ling Toomer, exec producers; Mark Axton, producer; Stephen Grossman, production coordinator; Jim Birkett, DP; Evan Stewart, art department coordinator; Jen Prokopowicz, animator; Lane Clark, art production assistant; Kimi Kaplowitz, art fabrication. Visual Effects Bent Image Lab Barna Howard, compositor. Editorial Bent Image Lab Kye Krauter, Brent Heise, editors. Music McKenzie Stubbert.
White Ribbon has launched its “My Friend, Max Hate” campaign in Canada featuring this public service film that follows the journey of a young, isolated boy who becomes influenced by a misogynistic online puppet, “Max Hate.” The PSA reveals how online figures in the manosphere--a network of online communities promoting hateful, misogynistic rhetoric which fuels attitudes among young men and boys that contribute to gender-based violence.
“It’s alarming to see the growing impact of the manosphere and how they are conditioning vulnerable populations such as teens, particularly young men,” said Humberto Carolo, White Ribbon CEO. “These misogynistic online groups have existed for years, but their influence has grown under controversial figures, driving an increase in gender-based violence. With the My Friend, Max Hate campaign, our goal is to expose the damaging influence of misogynistic figures and raise awareness, particularly among young men who are often drawn into these toxic online communities.”
Launching two weeks before Safer Internet Day (February 11), the campaign--from Toronto agency Bensimon Byrne--underscores the importance of online safety and protecting youth through clear content boundaries.
White Ribbon is creating an online resource hub that educates individuals on how to recognize harmful online groups and provides support for young men and boys seeking to escape. Additionally, the campaign will launch a TikTok account, @max_hate_, featuring the PSA ‘My Friend, Max Hate’ puppet to expose how these figures gain influence and spread hate in a space that reaches those most influenced, young men.
The PSA was directed by Angie Bird via Toronto-based Westside Studio.
