This film featuring Olympian gymnast Simone Biles is part of a campaign for skincare brand SK-II from a group across WPP agencies consisting of hand-picked global talent from Grey and MediaCom.
The “VS” series of six combination animation-live action films based on the real-life experiences of six Olympic athletes, including Biles, explores what it means to shape your own destiny, overcoming societal pressures over how to look, act and what to feel.
The piece featuring Biles, titled “VS Trolls,” was produced by Oscar-winning studio Passion Pictures. Societal pressures take the form of online trolls whose messages range from naysaying to being downright abusive.
Different pressures are brought to life in the SK-II Studio films, taking the form of a “strange beast” or “Kaiju” in Japanese. Each “kaiju” sheds light on the inner demon each athlete must defeat in order to successfully pursue their destiny.
Singer-songwriter John Legend created original music for the Biles film.
The “VS” series of films was released worldwide on May 1 with a global premiere in Hainan, China.
Katie Mulligan, creative strategist and copywriter, WPP’s Grey London, said, “What has been clear from working on this campaign is that the societal pressures on women do not discriminate. You can be the incredibly successful – the world’s most decorated gymnast – and still be criticized for how you look. So it’s been an incredible experience to create powerful, female-led narratives that not only highlight these pressures, but seek to eradicate them entirely.”
Credits
Client SK-II Agency WPP Agencies (Grey and Mediacom, lead creative unit; HUGE, VaynerMedia, Mano, Hogarth Worldwide, partners) Leo Savage, San Takashima, Graham Drew, executive creative directors; Danni Mohammed, executive creative strategy director; Nihar Das, WPP team lead; Katie Mulligan, creative strategist & copywriter; Nathan Wilson, integration lead; Stuart Harkness, Shane Lester, creative consultants; Ashley Chen, Ken Mitani, Sudhir Pasumarty, creative directors; Hiroko Matsuo, strategy director; Yukika Anan, sr. copywriter; Yoichai Inamura, sr. art director; Amanda Ang, designer; Miwako Yasukouchi, Shoko Akutagawa, sr. producers; Hayato Chaki, producer; Jerry Li, art director. Music John Legend, singer/songwriter. Music Studio Eclectic Sounds, Simon Elms. Production Passion Pictures Jon Saunders, director & character design, concept art, matte/background painting; Debbie Crossup, Mike Turoff, Luiza Cruz-Flade, EPs; Rick Bland, producer; Jason Nicholas, head of CG; Dave Walker, VFX supervisor; Christian Mills, CG supervisor; Aldo Gagliardi, CG animation supervisor; Jisoo Kim, Saskia Milledge, character design; Patricia Beteo, background design; Samuel Klughertz, Ronnie Mitchel, Daniel Lambert, concept art; Filipe Alcada, 2D animation; Francois Pons, lookdev; Javi Recio, Katie Smith, Barry Reynolds, boardomatic/animatic; Eoin Coughlan, previz; Daniel Budin, Kinsgley Bailey, editing; David Burtle, Idris Honnor, layout; Mattias Bjurstrom, Christian Johnson, Leo Viti, modeling; Ian Brown, Mark Ardisson, Sophie Blayrat, Shaun Rogers, character modeling; James Nardelli, Jakub Gryglicki, surface texturing; Kimon Matara, David Jurine, Sarah Forest, rigging; Jordi Girones, Conor Ryan, George Rigby, Karin Mattsson, Lucas Pratdesaba, Camillie Jalabert, Oscar Malet, Stuart Doig, animation; Colin Perrett, Darlene Buttner, Nacho Doctor, David Berrocoso, Tyler Daniels, Kwai Ip, Jamie Moller, SFX & SIM; Ian Beresford, Quentin Camus, Maryka Laudet, Adrian Russell, Stu Hall, Christian Mills, lighting & rendering; Nick Herbert, Antoine Foulot, Matheus Lacava, Eric Venti, Johnny Still, Andre Bittencourt, compositing; Daniel Lambert, Jakub Gryglicki, matte/background painting; Tim King, Olivia Bohac, Christina Conradi, assistant editors. (Toolbox: Maya, Nuke, Houdini, Photoshop, After Effects, Flame, Adobe Premiere) Live-Action Production Anh Vu, live-action director; Greg Babiuk, live-action exec producer; James Youngs, live-action producer. Editorial, Live-Action Trim Editing, London Ed Hanbury, editor. Postproduction Unit, London Denny Cooper, colorist; Isabella Wakley, grade producer. Casting Gambit Postproduction Hogarth Singapore, Daryl Bryan Lim, post 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
