Everyone knows that “Great milk comes from Happy Cows and Happy Cows come from California.” But creative design and digital production studio The Syndicate recently helped aspiring cows from around the world realize their dreams of a lush new life in California. The company completed an extensive new ad campaign for client Real California Milk in which cows audition to be the next Happy Cow. The Syndicate has worked with Real California Milk on their iconic Happy Cow spots since 2002.
The Happy Cow audition campaign for the California Milk Advisory Board comes from ad agency Deutsch LA, which originated the enormously popular Happy Cow concept in 2000. Directed by Chris Hooper of production company Bob Industries, the integrated television and web campaign aired nationally on October 13 and appears on the Real California Milk website as an interactive feature (www.realcaliforniamilk.com/auditions/index.html). Here viewers can play the reality show-like audition tapes submitted by each wannabe Happy Cow and vote for their favorite. A “Tell a Friend” button enables the viral advertising aspect of the virtual cattle call.
The Syndicate completed four 30-second audition tapes for “Alicia,” “Jenn,” “Kirsten,” and “Shelby,” and is in production on entries for additional hopefuls which will roll out in 2009.
Alicia, the Val-speaking teenager, has her audition cut short when her bratty little brother overturns the video camera. Bayou Jenn’s overbearing stage mother steals the scene from her little beauty queen calf and English Shelby’s pasture is so fog-bound that it obscures the spot on her bum that looks just like the Queen. Kirsten is taped in the middle of a Canadian blizzard, sleet forming icicles on her nose, as a wolf howls ominously in the background.
The cows were shot against bluescreen and then composited by The Syndicate against both live and photographic backgrounds. The static produced by Alicia’s falling camera is a visual effect and the fog in Shelby’s tape is entirely CG, specifically designed to camouflage her mouth and markings. Kirsten, while convincingly pelted with practical/fake snow, had CG breath clouds added to sell the wintry scene.
The challenge for The Syndicate‘s Flame artist Verdi Sevenhuysen was to make each tape look authentically homemade and unique, matching the footage of the perfectly filmed cows to the imperfect look.
The Syndicate‘s director of telecine, Beau Leon, was the colorist on the Happy Cow spots, while David Hwang, creative director of DesignWorks at The Syndicate, was responsible for the campaign’s graphic design. Animator Michael Killen, who has also worked on previous Happy Cow campaigns, produced the mouth animations.
The Syndicate‘s director of new business, Leslie Sorrentino, oversees the California Real Milk account. He had worked on the Happy Cow campaign from its inception in 2000 and brought the account to The Syndicate when he, Leon and managing director Kenny Solomon founded the company in 2002.
Sorrentino said, “We are so fortunate to have developed the relationship we have with Deutsch. Their creativity and ability to infiltrate popular culture inspires us and allows us to deliver consistently at the highest level. We’re very proud that The Syndicate has been entrusted with this high profile brand as it grows and evolves.”
The Syndicate recently completed the Suzuki campaign for Siltanen & Partners and the Levi’s campaign for Cutwater. The company is currently in production on visual effects for the Martin Scorsese-directed feature film SHUTTER ISLAND and won a prestigious 2008 Gold Clio Award for their work on Freixenet’s “The Key to Reserva,” also directed by Scorsese.
About the California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s nearly 2,000 dairy families. With headquarters in South San Francisco and Modesto, the CMAB is one of the largest commodity boards in the United States. The CMAB executes advertising, public relations, research and retail and foodservice promotional programs on behalf of California dairy products, including Real California Milk and Real California Cheese. For more information on California dairy products, visit www.RealCaliforniaMilk.com.
About The Syndicate
The Syndicate is a creative design, branding services and digital production studio specializing in live action direction, visual effects, animation, motion graphics, and telecine for commercials, television and music videos. A division of Santa Maria-based feature film visual effects facility CafeFX, The Syndicate has worked with top agencies, networks and studios on award-winning commercials, television programs, and music videos that have been seen around the world.
DesignWorks at The Syndicate, the company’s branding and design group, is headed by noted creative director David Hwang, who has created identity, broadcast campaigns and motion graphics for ESPN, HBO and ABC, as well as powerhouse advertising campaigns for McDonald’s, JC Penney, AT&&T, Eureka and Circuit City.
For more information please call 310-260-2320 or visit www.syndicate.tv
