Happy Egg Co. is rolling out its first work with The Martin Agency with a new motto we should all adopt: “Crack Open Happy.” Martin turned to Australian native and Brooklyn-based illustrator, Tom Brolga, for his pitch-perfect “poptivism” to set the tone for a significant reposition of Happy Egg—the brand’s first in three years.
Brolga helped the team create a world where toast gets a message by the pool, a Yeti does wheelies, bacon strips and a pig meet over pancakes. You just may see a chicken with tats. And our guide to this world of wonderment is a talking mug.
“We felt that only an animated world would truly juxtapose the mundane, every-day grind that is life,” shares Martin Agency copywriter Hope Thomas. “That being said, an animated world provides a lot more opportunity and freedom to show ‘happiness’—especially now that production capabilities are limited.”
Thomas added, “We gravitated toward Brolga’s work because it’s so joyous and full of life! The fluid, bubbly style of his work brightens up a lot of dull situations. He’s no stranger to combining his illustrations with real-world scenarios, which is exactly what we were trying to achieve.”
Credits
Client Happy Egg Co. Agency The Martin Agency Danny Robinson, EVP, chief creative officer; Jerry Hoak, EVP, executive creative director; Adam Stockton, creative director; Hope Thomas, copywriter; Sydney Aloe, art director; Summer McClure, designer; Tasha Dean, SVP, head of production; Tricia Hoover, executive producer; Coleman Sweeney, content producer; Rachel Bensinger, jr. content producer; Elizabeth Paul, chief strategy officer. Animation Flutter/Jacky Winter Group Dom Bartolo, executive creative director; Margaret Bialis, animation director; Aubrey Halloran, Li Liang Johnson, producers; Tom Brolga, illustrator; Stephen Elliget, lead animator; James Manton, Marta Tesoro, Dustin Nguyen, Frankie Lee, Chris More, Derek Lau, 2D animators & compositors; Su Mei Chia, animation producer. Production Company (Live-action) Spang TV Jordan Rodericks, director/DP; Melanie Cox, exec producer; Erin Surber, producer. Editorial (Live action) Spang TV Will Rummel, David Muessig, offline edit; David Muessig, colorist; Matt Milstead, VFX editor; Maggie Kern Melton, producer. Casting, Recording & Sound Design Subvert Studios Music Singing Serpent Jon Spencer, exec producer, creative director.
When dozens of Klick Health team members said they wouldn’t be able to hug loved ones over the festive season, the agency turned to AI and other magic to orchestrate a series of sentimental, surprise reunions captured in its “Holiday Hugs” video. The heartwarming four-minute video, benefitting the D.C.-based Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC), parallels recent findings from a Maru/Blue Public Opinion survey commissioned by Klick.
The poll found 74 percent of Americans and Canadians won’t be able to hug at least one person they wish they could over the holidays. And like those in the video, survey participants cited geographical distance and loved ones having passed away as the leading factors preventing their hugs.
“I just wish I could really squeeze her right now,” says teary-eyed New York Klickster Kari Bocassi watching her AI-generated hug with her sister Marlene, moments before she bursts onto the set for a long in-person embrace. The siblings have spent the past 14 years caring for their mother since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but haven’t been together for the holidays since Marlene moved to Virginia. Similarly, Toronto’s Fred Duarte gets the bear hug of his life when his brother Rico, who lives in Brazil, walks into Klick’s production studio for their first holiday reunion in seven years.
Directed by James Cooper via Cooper Films, “Holiday Hugs” also taps into the fact that hugs don’t just make people feel better emotionally, they also have numerous health benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health, hugs can lower blood pressure and boost the immune system.
“There’s nothing quite like the warmth and reassurance of a heartfelt hug,” said Klick’s chief creative officer Rich Levy. “With ‘Holiday... Read More
