Never before has the storied Halo game franchise allowed its characters to be taken from their fictional sci-fi world and dropped into ours. In a new campaign for the RTS (Real Time Strategy) game, Halo Wars 2, Xbox and 343 Industries partnered with 215MCCANN and director Randy Krallman of Smuggler to do just that.
The campaign imagines its two major characters, the alien giant General Atriox and heroically human Captain Cutter, engaged in a War of Wit–in relatable, real-life comedic situations in which the two use their strategic military minds to fight it out over the ownership of an airplane armrest and the price of a used car.
The latter, titled “The Sale,” has the two larger than life protagonists haggling over the price of a car–General Atriox being the used car salesman, and Captain Cutter as the prospective customer.
The key to victory, as strategy gamers will appreciate: Know your enemy.
The series of films will appear globally in a variety of owned and paid channels (UK broadcast, online and social) with bespoke Snapchat and YouTube bumper executions that tease the films. The 215 team even partnered with the real-life car dealership in one of the films, arranging for General Atriox to be featured as a somewhat alarming employee on their actual website, further blurring the line between the sci-fi game, marketing, and real worlds.
Credits
Client RTS (Real Time Strategy)/Halo Wars 2 Agency 215MCCANN Scott Duchon, chief creative officer; Neil Bruce, creative director; Alper Kologlu, sr. art director; Kyle Davis, copywriter; Brandon Romer, executive producer; Sarah Sweeney, producer; Brian Wakabayashi, director of strategy; Ryan Ouyoumjian, brand strategist. Production Smuggler Randy Krallman director; Patrick Milling Smith, Brian Carmody, Shannon Jones, exec producers; Andrew Colon, COO; Ian Blain, line producer; Darko Suvak, DP. VFX Electric Theatre Collective (ETC), Santa Monica, Calif. Kate Hitchings, exec producer; Scott Boyajan, producer; Eric Mason, lead Flame; Gretchen Capatan, Kevin Jones, Dave Damant, 2D artists; Adam Singer, graphic animation. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, After Effects). Editorial Cartel Andy McGraw, editor; Matt Berardi, assistant editor; Meagen Carroll, head of production; Lauren Bleiweiss, exec producer; Marc Altshuler, managing director. Telecine Company 3 Dave Hussey, colorist; Ashley McKim, exec producer; Liza Kerlin, color producer; Jim Harmon, color assistant. Sound Design Brian Emrich, sound designer. Audio Post Lime Studios Jeff Malen, mixer; Susie Boyajan, exec producer
FCB Health New York, an IPG Health company, and SAFE Project have joined forces to create “The Snowball,” a short film that spotlights winter as a common catalyst for dangerous increases in alcohol consumption. In collaboration with creative studio LOBO, “The Snowball” combines a compelling visual metaphor with cutting-edge animation and a haunting soundtrack from Billie Holiday.
As millions embrace “Dry January,” the onset of colder, shorter winter days still leads to an uptick in alcohol misuse, which can lead to liver cirrhosis and other medical maladies and dangerous consequences for one’s life. Speaking to casual drinkers, “The Snowball” visually illustrates how anyone is at risk of becoming addicted to alcohol during this time of year when external climate variables can lead to excess consumption, even if the drinker does not immediately realize it.
Making good on the metaphor, the film follows one man as a quick liquor run gradually devolves into a full-blown addiction as a snowball gradually grows beside him, engulfing his whole life and eventually causing his demise. Set to the tune of Billie Holiday’s “Everything I Have Is Yours,” the film’s pathos is drawn from the sonic integrity of Holiday’s original recording maintained in the sound design as well as the singer’s tragic battle with substance abuse.
This entirely animated film was created using a hands-on, collaborative process rooted in traditional animation techniques, with every aspect of the artwork creation, design, and craftsmanship crafted entirely by human hands. AI-driven tools and processes were brought in during the animation rendering stage, helping the film achieve a distinct visual style that would have been difficult to achieve through... Read More
