In this spot we see beautiful, CGI, mechanical butterflies made from individual components of the all-new Ford Focus Active hatching out of chrysalis to come together in a stunning kaleidoscope to form the new vehicle. The ad uses the butterflies to symbolize the beauty that can emerge from change.
The Ford UK commercial was directed by Steve Cope at 2AM Films for agency GTB UK. Visual effects house on the job was Electric Theatre Collective.
Neil Scholes, VFX supervisor at Electric, said: “It was a blast working on this new Ford film. The director, Steve Cope, wanted to enjoy the mechanical nature of these butterflies, and to see all the different car materials from red glass to white metallic paint. The challenge was keeping the animation playful and realistic but also making sure all the different tones and colors combined correctly whilst forming the car. We’re really happy with the end result.”
Credits
Client Ford UK/Ford Focus Active Agency GTB Paul Yull, Adrian Birkinshaw, executive creative directors; Ash Prentice, James Child, creatives; Romila Sanassy, Aaron Clark, producers. Production 2AM Films Steve Cope, director; Nick Crabb, managing director/exec producer; Chris Cable, producer. VFX Electric Theatre Collective, London Jon Purton, producer; Neil Scholes, VFX supervisor/3D lead; Tobin Brett, FX lead; Iain Murray, 2D lead; Alex Prod’Homme, Christian Block, Alex Grey, Aitor Arroyo, Daniel Manning, 2D artists; Gareth Bell, Thanos Topouzis, Ryan Maddox, Patrick Krafft Conor Ryan, Nicolas Lebas, Max Johnson, Stephane Renaldi, Quentin Dubois, Tom Di Stasio, Thanos Kousis, Eddy Martinez, Nick Turner, Kristopher Gropatsakis, 3D artists; Luke Morrison, colorist (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, Maya, Houdini)
How do you top one of the most viral brand videos ever made? Spoiler alert: you canโt. But when Dollar Shave Club tapped Zack Seckler to direct a new campaign to revive the absurdist humor of its iconic launch video, he knew he had a rare opportunity to create something special.
The brief was simple: introduce the concept of a physical โClubโ that people would love to join while showcasing Dollar Shave Clubโs products and embracing the weird. From script to direction and post, Seckler--an alum of SHOOTโs 2021 New Directors Showcase--was invited to help sculpt that vision.
The result is this โWelcome to the Clubโ spot which invites us to join a unique, seemingly exclusive but in reality an accessible and affordable fraternity of Dollar Shave Club members. But you need to know the password or more accurately, the two-word phrase--"shave money."
โThe Clubโ campaign brings the brand back to its humorous roots, reflecting a new chapter after being acquired by Nexus Capital Management from Unilever in late 2023. The work takes Dollar Shave Club back to its disruptive beginnings and what made the brand a viral sensation from its inception in 2011.
