In anticipation of the BBC’s coverage of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 across TV, radio and online, BBC Creative, the broadcaster’s in-house creative agency, teamed up with Nexus Studios and directorial collective Factory Fifteen to create a dynamic trail that magically reimagines the vibrant host city.
In the trail, Tokyo has been taken over by the Olympics with street signs, shops, an arcade, Gashapon parlour, a sport fanatics’ bedroom and a J-Pop music video all jam-packed with references to Olympic sports, athletes and even BBC presenters.
Working with Japanese artist and designer Fantasista Utamaro, the team carefully weaved over 50 “eastereggs moments,” made up of original and authentic artwork and animation, within the :60 trail. The film is set to original music by legendary anime composer Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell, Avalon, Hyakkin).
Factory Fifteen, the directorial collective made up of Kibwe Tavares, Jonathan Gales and Paul Nicholls, shared in a joint statement: “Collaborating with the BBC to reimagine Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Games has been a dream project. We love bringing places to life with a heightened sense of reality and fantasy, often using the environment as a character. It was amazing to re-interpret evocative Japanese scenes with the world’s biggest sports and athletes woven into the city through authentic design and storytelling.”
Credits
Client BBC Helen Rhodes, executive creative director; James Wood, head of production; James Cross, Tim Jones, creative directors; Rachel Miles, Michael Yik Xing Tsim, creatives; Sarah Bradbury, producer. Production Nexus Studios Factory Fifteen (Kibwe Tavares, Jonathan Gales, Paul Nicholls), directors; Fantasista Utamaro, creative director; Mike Bell, Judy Hill, exec producers; Isobel Conroy, sr. producer; Alan Traquair, shoot producer; Janine Carter, shoot production manager; Tony Miller, DP, London; Christopher Nicholls, DP, Tokyo; Sean Hogan, production designer, London; Gaku Narita (Indochina Productions), Tokyo line producer. J Pop Sequence–Dylan White, studio 2D lead; Sylvain Magne, Sim Marriott, Chiara Sgatti, 2-D animators (J-Pop); Duane Uba, 2D clean up; Nico Domerego, 3D generalist; Gareth Tredrea, Bethany Levy, additional 2D; David Slade, editor. Music Kenji Kawai, composer. Sound Factory Mark Hills VFX The Mill Mike Chapman, creative director; Fergal Hendrick, VFX supervisor/shoot supervisor/2D lead artist; Gemma Humphries, exec producer; Elle Lockhart, Kirsty Ratcliffe, Tarun Misra, Prithvi Poojari, Sourabh Dharampurikar, Vinay Puranik, producers; Ben Blundell, shoot supervisor/3D lead artist; Declan Andrews, Oscar Tornincasa, Rafael Vormittag, Laique Quraishi, Mohit Garg, Dilipan J, Adam Maynard, Richard Payne, Prajeesh E, Anuj Bhandari, Nikhil K M, AVV Suresh, 2D artists; Wesley Roblett, James Hansell, Paul Autric, Joao Pires, Thomas Craig, Vicky McIntyre, Andreas Graichen, Hannah Bahyan, Kate Gabrielova, Rachel Ward Katie Bates, Amit Das, Anil Sarki, Samarendra Lenka, 3D artists; Holly McLean, Jeanette Eiternes, finish artists; Tomas Muller, matte painting; David Neale, designer; Freya Barnsley, motion graphics; Alex Gregory, colorist; Elle Lockhart, color producer.
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 film’s 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 child’s 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 – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
