This animated promo for the new season of Top Gear on History gets its inspiration from classic 1980s’ cartoons like ThunderCats and G.I. Joe.
The team at L.A. studio Roger, led by creative director Dane Macbeth, worked closely with History’s brand creative Matthew Neary to develop the :30 spot. Beyond just getting the look of each character right with a Saturday morning cartoon feel, it was important that the personalities of Top Gear stars–Adam Ferrara, Rutledge Wood and Tanner Foust–came through in the piece.
In an effort to stay true to the cartoons that inspired the project, the animators avoided the use of 3D and instead utilized cel animation, 2D animation and matte paintings to create the action, characters and backgrounds of the piece. While the animation methods stayed traditional, the storyboarding process got a 21st century twist with the integration of GIFs. Using GIFs from the openings of classic cartoons for source material, Roger was able to storyboard an animated version of the entire sequence. This allowed them to really dig into the different animation techniques used in those classic cartoons.
Credits
Visual Effects/Animation: Roger, Los Angeles Dane Macbeth, creative director; Josh Libitsky, exec producer; Brandon Stevenson, producer; Evan Yarbrough, MK Fabila, designers; Jake Portman, animation lead/art director/2D animator; Alan Foreman, Jamal Otolorn, Matt Everton, Lyuben Dimitrov, 2D animators; Brad Arnold, storyboard artist. (Toolbox: Adobe Creative Cloud, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, Flash, Maya–to generate reference sequences for drawn frames) Agency: History, New York; Production: Roger, Los Angeles Dane Macbeth, director
This trailer promotes Charge Around The Globe, a new adventure docuseries that follows record-breaking traveler Lexie Limitless on an extraordinary journey to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle--traveling over 30,000 kilometers across six continents, all in pursuit of one world record. The three-part series on Prime Video in the U.K. showcases the capabilities of modern electric vehicles while immersing viewers in the numerous experiences and challenges Lexie encounters throughout her journey. As she navigates various challenges throughout her trip, Charge Around the Globe serves as a testament to the spirit of exploration. Ford, Wieden+Kennedy London and WracK teamed on the series.
The documentary aims to address the primary concern hindering many consumers from transitioning to electric: doubts about the range and capability of electric vehicles. As a 120-year-old brand, Ford looked to its past as inspiration for the switch that’s taking place today. Over a century ago, pioneering explorer Aloha Wanderwell set off from Nice at the age of 16 to become the first woman to drive around the world in a Ford Model T. Now, in 2024, we get to see Lexie, the youngest person to visit every country in the world, take to the wheel of the electric Ford Explorer, reinventing that historic journey for a new generation. Along the way, she meets extraordinary people, navigates difficult terrains, and faces the challenges of a constantly evolving charging infrastructure that puts her to the test.
“Charge Around The Globe has been the ultimate test drive for our new electric Ford Explorer. We took on every kind of weather and road condition and dealt with just about every charging scenario. The journey embodies the true... Read More
