When a guy’s truck conks out, he lifts up the hood to reveal how powerless his horsepower had made him. Under the hood are hybrid human/horse characters (actually folks in cheesy horse costumes) who are lazy and insist that in order to rev up they need the gent to sing a ridiculous “Pretty Pretty Pony” song and then accompany it with a dance.
At the mercy of his “lazy horses,” the man sings and dances only to be seen by the driver of a Nissan TITAN truck who stops to lend a hand, thus rescuing our song-and-dance man.
The Traktor collective via production houses Rattling Stick and Traktor directed this offbeat spot as agency TBWAChiatDay New York turns to humor in a product category not known for it.
TITAN is disrupting the myth that to be a serious truck, you have to have serious advertising. Comedy appeals to the younger truck buyer–as does the TITAN which sports a customer base that has tapped into the GenX demographic.
Credits
Client Nissan Agency TBWAChiatDay New York Chris Garbutt, global chief creative officer; Darren Borrino, Rob Rutherford, creative directors; Adam Naccarato art director; Matt Sullivan, copywriter; Jason Souter, head of integrated production; Matt Flaherty, executive producer; Olivia Whyte, associate integrated producer. Production Rattling Stick/Traktor Traktor, director; Joe Biggins, Jeff Shupe, executive producers; Richard Ulfvengren, exec producer/Traktor; Richard McIntosh, head of production; Rachel Curl, producer; Wendal Scott Reeder, production manager. Editorial Final Cut Editorial Ed Cheesman, editor; Andre Castiglioni, assistant editor; Sarah Roebuck, exec producer; Laura Cavanaugh, post producer. Audio Post Heard City Phil Loeb, miser; Andi Lewis, producer; Sasha Awn, exec producer. Postproduction/VFX The Mill Heath Raymond, exec producer; Nirad “Bugs” Russell, Abi Klimaszewska, sr. producers; Ted Rae, shoot supervisor; Fergus McCall, colorist; Rochelle Brown, color sr. producer; Jade Kim, Jeff Robbins, lead compositors; Gabriel Kim, Rachael Moon, Dhruv Shankar, assistant compositors; Clemens den Exter, designer. Music Beacon Street Studios Beacon Street, composers; Adrea Lavezoli, 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
