This stop-motion spot for Dunkin’ shows what National Hockey League (NHL) stars David Pastrลรกk of the Boston Bruins and T.J. Oshie of the Washington Capitals would look like as bubble hockey arcade figurines.
Titled “Empty Net,” the ad–directed by Peter Sluszka of Hornet for BBDO New York–takes us onto the surface of the classic bubble hockey arcade game with Pastrลรกk and Oshie, highlighting some of the hilarious predicaments unique to the nostalgic game.
This is Dunkin’s first-ever stop-motion work. Hornet and BBDO NY went to great lengths to make the players come to life, a creative alternative to getting the players together during quarantine. For example, the design teams developed nearly two dozen different, hand-painted heads for both Pastrลรกk and Oshie to bring their personal characteristics and facial expressions to life–with each shot taking approximately six to eight hours to film to tell the story in a realistic way.
Credits
Client Dunkin’ Agency BBDO New York David Lubars, chief creative officer, worldwide; Doug Fallon, Steven Fogel, executive creative directors; Talon Gustafson, Brian Pinkley, creative directors; Diane Hill, EVP, group executive producer; Mike Woodall, sr. producer; Julia Millison, sr. music producer. Production Hornet Peter Sluszka, director; Hana Shimizu, managing director; Karen Lawler, head of production; Kristin Labriola, head of creative development; Dez Stavracos, production supervisor; Trever Stewart, producer; Riley Spencer, associate producer; Sean Lattrell, storyboard artist; Cat Rao, character designer; Jennifer Ely, design exploration; Joel Kretschman, stop motion line producer; Ivan Abel, DP; John Harrison, VFX supervisor & lead compositor; Richard Coppola, motion control operator; Tim McDonald, art director; Peter Erickson, Maxwell Sorensen, Mikail Ekiz, Illya Smelansky, Camille Labarre, David Assel, Ben Kress, Nico Benenati, Argon Props, fabricators; Mikail Ekiz, Matt Somma, Maxwell Sorensen, animators; Sandra White, food stylist; Guilherme Ferreirinha, Xiaoxiao Tan, Ted Wiggin, compositors; Anita Chao, sr. editor; Minseok Kim, assistant editor; Lotty Vigue, production coordinator (Toolbox: Dragonframe, After Effects) Color Honest Labor Color Shawn King, colorist; Alex Rochinski, color producer. Sound Sound Lounge Rob DiFondi, audio mixer; Marshall Grupp, sound designer; Lauren Mullen, sr. producer. Manufacturing Partner Home Arcade Games.
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
