The artists and producers from international production company and design studio Brand New School (BNS) are very proud to detail their latest project. Developed in partnership with Publicis QMP Ireland and Cadbury, the sumptuous :60 broadcast/web spot for Cadbury Dairy Milk entitled “Icons” recently debuted as a key part of the brand’s biggest ever integrated marketing campaign in Ireland. nnThe challenge to BNS began with what company founder and director Jonathan Notaro described as “a beautifully poetic script” and a detailed agency briefing, which called for an ad that would “seduce” viewers with footage of tempting, mouth-watering chocolate in all its glory and perhaps involve “hints of cheeky humor.”nn"We all felt that this project would build on some of our previous work while offering us a new direction with its dark, dramatically slick tone," Jonathan began. "Using the process as a starting point we began designing abstract scenes that were surreal and terrestrial to create a mysterious visual narrative. We wanted to capture the behavior of these different elements with a little sleight of hand, so we decided to fuse photo-sonic photography for the scenes we could capture in-camera and CG for the scenarios that were impossible to film."nn
nnIn the spot, the camera moves through abstracted forms frozen in time atop a lush purple landscape, beginning with milk flowing from two glasses into a tornado of chocolate. Time slows to accentuate the collision of milk and dark chocolate swirling and melding together, with one piece of hard chocolate splintering into shards amidst confetti from Cadbury Dairy Milk’s signature golden foil. The perspective widens to reveal all the elements coming together as an artistic installation floating in space, ending with foil wrapping around flowing chocolate and the perfectly formed product.nnFor BNS, other key contributors included art director Ricardo Villavicencio, VFX/CG supervisor Vadim Turchin, designers Sakona Kong and Wakoko Ichonose, London executive producer Geraldine McCarthy, producer Georgina Poushkine and post producer Madison Brigode, among many others. Under the direction of Jonathan and director of photography Tim Green, the crew shot its live-action elements using the Photron FASTCAM BC2 HD camera system and special 99K Linear Longstrike Lightning Strike lights. For all the chocolate pouring shots, the team used special rigs built by Artem Visual Effects, together with silicone dyed to match Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate. "We built oversized 3X scale versions of the models we shot to create a larger, more environmental feel," Jonathan explained. "We also shot everything at extremely high speeds with strobe-like lighting, which allowed us to get very crisp images that felt massive in scale."n nDesign development continued throughout the entire production process, as Ricardo continued to perfect the key visuals of each scene based on experimentation in 3D and other areas. While much of that work occurred in Adobe Creative Suite and Autodesk Maya, the recent upgrades to V-Ray’s rendering software helped BNS create more cinematic content in all the CG footage. The HD content was finished using Autodesk Flame.nnNot only does the spot provide a stunning centerpiece for the two million euro campaign, a key piece of concept art used to develop the spot was later finished for print channels. Over the months ahead, that imagery will appear in facets spanning advertising, digital, press and outdoor.nn"Cadbury is a global iconic brand. It’s one of the big guns," said Darragh Carey of Publicis QMP. "So we had to convey taste with a genuine sense of confidence and scale. The spectacle had to live up to the brand. In the journey from script to screen, so much could have been lost, but Brand New School created something unexpected and yet undeniably Cadbury. It is arresting, tactile and magical. Jonathan and his team have demonstrated that flowing chocolate can be surprising; that it can be beautiful."nnFor Publicis QMP Ireland, the team consisted of creative director Ronan Nulty, copywriter Darragh Carey, art director Avril Durkan, producer Margaret Levingstone, account director Kerry Fitzgerald. Additional BNS credits include executive producer Devin Brook and production manager Michaela Miesen. The spot features the song “Abracadabra” by Steve Miller Band, and its sound design and final mix were completed by Mutiny Sound Studios Dublin. Complete project credits are available upon request.nnAbout Brand New SchoolnWith offices in New York, Los Angeles and London, Brand New School is a vertically integrated production company and design studio that delivers extraordinary media on all platforms. Offering a new model for creative digital production, we are filmmakers, developers, designers, animators, editors, illustrators, and producers dedicated to driving communications to new heights. Akin to leading academic institutions, our guiding philosophies prize experimentation and learning, and our commitment to discovering the best ideas for our clients is absolute. For more information, please visit www.brandnewschool.com.Roger Darnell DWA for Brand New School Phone: 1.828.264.8898 Contact Roger via email
The Light and BIEN Form Creative & Strategic Alliance
Production company The Light and motion design studio BIEN have forged a strategic alliance that nurtures inclusivity and sustainability throughout the life cycle of every project.
The Light Founder/CEO Becky Morrison and BIEN Co-Founder Ricardo Roberts were first introduced by a mutual client who recognized their parallel ethos. Both Morrison and Roberts are advocates for industry change, and have built successful companies that demonstrate the benefits of human-centered and sustainable production in live action and motion design, respectively.
“I admire the thoughtfulness, specificity, and artistry with which BIEN produces animation and design and their attention to representing the full spectrum of humanity,” notes Morrison. “Their work behind the scenes to foster a diverse creative community is equally impressive. It feels like the perfect moment to partner with another mission-driven company who cares so deeply about creative excellence and social change.”
“I immediately hit it off with Becky and love that she has so many ideas that are tactical, scalable and make a powerful difference,” adds Roberts. “She challenges the status quo while producing beautiful, world-class content. With this partnership, we can better serve our clients and carry our mission forward together.”
The Light is a production company guided by the principle that an emotionally healthy environment is paramount for creativity and high performance. From its inception in 2014, The Light has centered under-represented talent, with equity and sustainability as key pillars to delivering creative projects for... Read More