Directors Colin Hesterly and Le Cube worked together to recreate real stories of customers and Michelin employees in playful spots produced by Not To Scale New York for Michelin with agency Virtue Worldwide. As each “Real Heroes” narrative unfolds, we learn about the role of the Michelin employee when they went above and beyond the call of duty while helping customers in need.
Hesterly and Le Cube combined their skills in breathing life and personality into animated characters and storylines. Infusing a fun and quirky charm that feels silly yet sophisticated, the directors were inspired by the visual styles of classic UPA cartoons and School House Rock, bringing a modern eye to an iconic style.
In “Meg,” the title character is a mom who’s driving to the museum with her four boys as passengers when their car’s front tire picks up a nail. Michelin comes to the rescue, getting them back on the road and on to the museum.
“The agency gave us these wonderful stories, which allowed us to explore and have fun,” said Hesterly. “If you watch the films with a discerning eye, you’ll begin to notice all the tire-shaped objects–everything from the trees to the characters’ shapes themselves.”
Credits
Client Michelin Agency Virtue Worldwide Emma Starzacher, head of production; Momo Berg-Munch, producer; Tyler Pierce, creative director; Garret Mutz, Imran Hafiz, creatives. Production/Animation Studio Not To Scale/Le Cube Ralph Karam, Colin Hesterly, directors; Eve Strickman, Gustavo Karam, Juan Manuel Freire, exec producers; Brittany Wimmer, Antonela Castro, line producers; Martin Lara, animation director; Colin Hesterly, art director; Martin Vinograd, art; Katherine Pryor, Amelia Vidal. Aleta Vidal, Francisco Luque, Adriano Nizoli, Eugenia Casal, Sara Boix, Guy Charnaux, Cintia Czeszczewik, Memé Candia, Pablo Cuello, Sergio Kechu, 2D animators; Juan Pablo Barbieri, Florencia Laurenzi, Julieta Culaciati, 2D animation assistants; Jardeson Rocha, Erik Righetti, Javier Bianchi, animation; Vicente Ziegler, Christian Rey Willis, 3D modeling; Vicente Ziegler, Rodrigo Lopez, 3D animators; Ralph Karam, Jardeson Rocha, compositing.
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
