Visual effects and content creation studio The Mill teamed with J. Walter Thompson Atlanta to create “Anthem,” a fully CGI spot for the United States Marine Corps.
Anthem is an ode to the Marines that speaks to the nobility of their fighting spirit–a spirit that lives in their hearts and is manifested as a promise they’ve made to their country. The spot depicts iconic Marine Corps battles–both figurative battles recruits fight to earn the title and literal ones in combat–made to form one large Marine sculpture.
Directed by The Mill’s ECD Ben Smith, Anthem celebrates the past and inspires the future through a series of epic moments of heroism immortalized in CGI by a team of VFX artists.
Although completed within CGI, the spot is cinematic in style, employing traditional camera movements, focus, lighting and texture within the CGI environment.
“From beginning to end, this project was all about authenticity. We wanted the final results to feel as real as the epic moments in history we were depicting,” said Smith. “We spent a lot of time researching genuine, specific moments from history that personified Marine Corps values of honor, courage, and commitment. We strived to faithfully recreate the craft and material finishes of bronze sculpture work, and used lighting and cinematography to underpin the sense of realism.”
Credits
Client United States Marine Corps Agency J. Walter Thompson Atlanta Vann Graves, chief creative officer; Tom Wilson, creative director; Brian Steele, copywriter; Daniel Prado, Michael Powell, art directors; Brad Powell, producer. Production Mill+ Ben Smith, director; Chris Kiser, exec producer; Nick Strange Thye, sr. producer; Tom Basis, Tyler Richardson, Eve Grissinger, research & story development. Editorial The Mill Ryan McKenna, Alex Trierweiler, editors. VFX & Design The Mill Chris Kiser, exec producer; Nick Strange Thye, sr. producer; Ben Smith, creative director; Kyle Cody, 2D lead artist; Tom Bardwell, Olivier Varteressian, David Fleet, 3D lead artists; Molly Intersimone, Dae Yoon Kang, 2D artists; Arman Matin, Paul Liaw, Ivan Joy, Nick Couret, Ylli Orana, Yong, Chan Kim, Jimmy San, Jackie Liao, Adam Dewhirst, Zed Bennett, Will Atkin, Alex Allain, Aton Lerin, Rachel Start, Navdeep Singh, Mike Garcia, Juan Carlos Barquet, Anna Cardillo, Justin Miller, Christina Ku, Jonathan McCoy, Incheol Jeong, 3D artists; Anthony Dodero, Ian Bradley, art department; Elena Orlova, Michael Brown, production coordinators; Josh Frankel, animation lead/3D layout. Color The Mill Fergus McCall, colorist; Dee Allen, exec producer, color; Natalie Westerfield, color producer; Evan Bauer, color coordinator.
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
