Four rugged explorers brave the elements to conquer the South Pole. As they are about to plant their flag on terra firma, they are interrupted by someone who’s already arrived and been waiting for them–animated character Dora the Explorer. It’s what she does, underscoring the latest chapter in GEICO’s “It’s What You Do” campaign out of The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va. The spot is simply titled "South Pole."
Hungry Man’s Wayne McClammy directed the live action, teaming with the animation/VFX expertise of The Mill, Nickelodeon Creative Advertising and Primal Screen.
Credits
Client GEICO Agency The Martin Agency Joe Alexander, chief creative officer; Wade Alger, Steve Bassett, group creative directors; Sean Riley, creative director; Ken Marcus, sr. copywriter; Brett Alexander, executive producer; Alex Scheer-Payne, producer; Coleman Sweeney, jr. broadcast producer. Production Hungry Man Wayne McClammy, director; Kevin Byrne, managing partner/exec producer; Dan Duffy, exec producer/head of sales; Mino Jarjoura, Nancy Hacohen, exec producers; Brady Vant Hull, UPM/producer; Jewel Estephanos, production supervisor. Editorial Mackenzie Cutler Dave Koza, editor; Patrick Blumer, assistant editor; Sasha Hirschfeld, exec producer; Esme Wright, producer. “Dora” Animation/VFX Nickelodeon Creative Advertising Pete Johnson, sr. VP; Hafeez Saheed, VP/head of production; Katie Gillies, supervising producer; Jamie Edelstein, director, project management. Primal Screen Hunter Matheson, exec producer; Laura Green, producer; Joe Kubesheski, animation director; Ward Jenkins, animation assistant. Animation/VFX The Mill John Leonti, VFX supervisor; Colin Blaney, exec producer; Sumer Zuberi, producer; Ajit Menon, CG lead. Emily Meger, Jimmy Gass, Sean Dooley, CG artists; Randy McEntee, 2D lead; Jamie Beckwith, Franz Brandstaetter, Sabine Janetzka, Udesh Chetty, 2D artists. Post The Mill Fergus McCall, colorist. Music HUM Jeff Koz, president/founder; Debbi Landon, exec producer; Scott Glenn, creative director; Nicolette Kolb, producer; Bruce Gainsford, composer. Audio Post Rainmaker Studios Jeff McManus, engineer/mixer.
The 2024 Christmas ad from John Lewis department stores has arrived. This year’s much anticipated TV commercial, continuing the Xmas tradition of John Lewis, is the two-minute “The Gifting Hour" created by Saatchi & Saatchi UK and directed by Francois Rousselet via production house Riff Raff.
In the ad, the heroine, Sally, has left it a little late to find the right gift for her sister this year and races into a John Lewis store at closing time. Falling through a rack of dresses, she enters a fantastical world. We first see her stumbling out of the wardrobe in the attic of her childhood home and from here we are taken on a whimsical journey through her memories as she searches for the ultimate present, against the clock.
Returning to the store and back to reality she has found the perfect gift, ready and wrapped. Sally then heads outside and has a special moment with her sister who will be the gift’s recipient. As they walk away we see her sister reflected in the John Lewis window as the child from her memories.
