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.
This trailer promotes Charge Around The Globe, a new adventure docuseries that follows record-breaking traveler Lexie Limitless on an extraordinary journey to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle--traveling over 30,000 kilometers across six continents, all in pursuit of one world record. The three-part series on Prime Video in the U.K. showcases the capabilities of modern electric vehicles while immersing viewers in the numerous experiences and challenges Lexie encounters throughout her journey. As she navigates various challenges throughout her trip, Charge Around the Globe serves as a testament to the spirit of exploration. Ford, Wieden+Kennedy London and WracK teamed on the series.
The documentary aims to address the primary concern hindering many consumers from transitioning to electric: doubts about the range and capability of electric vehicles. As a 120-year-old brand, Ford looked to its past as inspiration for the switch that’s taking place today. Over a century ago, pioneering explorer Aloha Wanderwell set off from Nice at the age of 16 to become the first woman to drive around the world in a Ford Model T. Now, in 2024, we get to see Lexie, the youngest person to visit every country in the world, take to the wheel of the electric Ford Explorer, reinventing that historic journey for a new generation. Along the way, she meets extraordinary people, navigates difficult terrains, and faces the challenges of a constantly evolving charging infrastructure that puts her to the test.
“Charge Around The Globe has been the ultimate test drive for our new electric Ford Explorer. We took on every kind of weather and road condition and dealt with just about every charging scenario. The journey embodies the true... Read More
