Produced by Nexus Studios in collaboration with agency Johannes Leonardo, this handcrafted animation piece titled “The Last Mile” serves as a farewell tribute to the Volkswagen Beetle, looking back on its 80-year lifespan. Director FX Goby of Nexus takes us through the decades, telling both a personal and cultural history of our relationship with the beloved Bug, which has been a counterculture, pop and political icon.
The ;90, which will be shown at Times Square on New Year’s Eve as well as airing on NBC, CNN and ABC before the ball drops, is set to a rendition of “Let it Be” by the Pro Musica Youth Chorus children’s choir.
Rostoscoped using a traditional hand-drawn technique, the spot conveys the warm affection held for the Bug by owners and enthusiasts. Goby said, “The film has a limited color palette, evocative of a warm, nostalgic feel. We wanted the film to feel warm and tactile, as if every frame had been printed, keeping the slight happy accidents of overlapping colors and paper textures.”
Credits
Client Volkswagen Agency Johannes Leonardo, New York Jan Jacobs, Leo Premutico, chief creative officers; Jimm Lasser, executive creative director; Laura Longstaff, creative director/art director; Chris Luu, art director; Brandon Holliday, copywriter; Charles Watlington, design director; Austin Haas, jr. creative; Loren Lee, sr. project manager; Maria Perez, head of integrated production; Benton Roman, group executive producer; Rebecca O’Neill, executive producer; Mary Bakarich, group strategy director. Production Nexus Studios, London and Los Angeles FX Goby, director; Chris O’Reilly, executive creative director; Juliet Tierney, exec producer; Cindy Burnay, sr. producer; Rebecca Archer, line producer; Manshen Lo, art director; Pierre Rougemont, Fanny Hagdahl Sorebo, Signe Cold, design; Louis Kynd, storyboards; Antonin Derory, Lea Arachtingi, 3D; Michael Firkowski, animation supervisor; Diego Porral, animation lead; Alex Bernas, Alex Potts, Alex Dray, Emma Wakely, Flora Caulton, Guillaume Pochez, Iris Abols, Nelly Michenaud, Sim Marriott, animation; Bethany Levy, Dylan White, Elliott Kajdan, Leo Bubani, Paul Rice, composite; Thomas Heleta, Dave Slade, Joe Eckworth, edit, Live Action La Productora, service company. Jame Lloyd, exec producer; Diego Gregorio, line producer; Fernando Lorenzale, DP; Carlos Hoffman, assistant director; Cecilia Guerriero, art director; Mercedes Kicelian, costume stylist; Pablo Riera, editor. Music Human Justin Hori, arrangement of “Let It Be”; Justin Hori, Andrew Bloch, creative lead; James Dean Wells, exec producer; Pro Musica Youth Chorus, choir. Sound Design/Mix Sonic Union Steve Rosen, sound designer; Pat Sullivan, producer; Justine Cortale, studio director. Music Supervision Groove Guild Al Risi, music supervisor.
After losing part of his right leg due to cancer, Terry Fox campaigned to raise national awareness and funding for cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. Fox, who died in 1981, is a national hero. His image will be on Canada’s new $5 bill.
In this two-minute video titled “Finish It,” the Marathon of Hope is recreated. It’s all done in one take, and it features an actor/marathon runner who uses a prosthesis on the same leg as Fox. CGI was deployed to make him look more like Fox. To further ensure the actor represented Fox accurately, not only did the actor and team watch and study many videos of Terry, but Terry’s brothers, Fred and Darrel, coached the actor on Terry’s running style and mannerisms. They also created a copy of Terry’s prosthesis for the actor to use for the shoot.
The message is clear. As the Marathon of Hope now marks its 45th anniversary, we now have the opportunity to “Finish It” for Fox, raising money and awareness to get a cure for cancer over the finish line, completing the work that Fox started. The public service film starts with Fox on the marathon run, eventually joined by a crowd of other dedicated runners from all walks of life who take over the race.
Mark Zibert directed via production company Scouts Honour for Toronto agency Diamond. The video features a never-before-heard version of the song “Courage” from Canadian band The Tragically Hip.
“We wanted to create a campaign that captures the magnitude of Terry Fox’s legacy while driving meaningful action,” said Peter Ignazi, chief creative officer at Diamond. “By revisiting the Marathon of Hope with such care and reverence, we aimed to reignite Terry’s mission and... Read More
