This stop-motion spot for Dunkin’ shows what National Hockey League (NHL) stars David Pastrňák of the Boston Bruins and T.J. Oshie of the Washington Capitals would look like as bubble hockey arcade figurines.
Titled “Empty Net,” the ad–directed by Peter Sluszka of Hornet for BBDO New York–takes us onto the surface of the classic bubble hockey arcade game with Pastrňák and Oshie, highlighting some of the hilarious predicaments unique to the nostalgic game.
This is Dunkin’s first-ever stop-motion work. Hornet and BBDO NY went to great lengths to make the players come to life, a creative alternative to getting the players together during quarantine. For example, the design teams developed nearly two dozen different, hand-painted heads for both Pastrňák and Oshie to bring their personal characteristics and facial expressions to life–with each shot taking approximately six to eight hours to film to tell the story in a realistic way.
Credits
Client Dunkin’ Agency BBDO New York David Lubars, chief creative officer, worldwide; Doug Fallon, Steven Fogel, executive creative directors; Talon Gustafson, Brian Pinkley, creative directors; Diane Hill, EVP, group executive producer; Mike Woodall, sr. producer; Julia Millison, sr. music producer. Production Hornet Peter Sluszka, director; Hana Shimizu, managing director; Karen Lawler, head of production; Kristin Labriola, head of creative development; Dez Stavracos, production supervisor; Trever Stewart, producer; Riley Spencer, associate producer; Sean Lattrell, storyboard artist; Cat Rao, character designer; Jennifer Ely, design exploration; Joel Kretschman, stop motion line producer; Ivan Abel, DP; John Harrison, VFX supervisor & lead compositor; Richard Coppola, motion control operator; Tim McDonald, art director; Peter Erickson, Maxwell Sorensen, Mikail Ekiz, Illya Smelansky, Camille Labarre, David Assel, Ben Kress, Nico Benenati, Argon Props, fabricators; Mikail Ekiz, Matt Somma, Maxwell Sorensen, animators; Sandra White, food stylist; Guilherme Ferreirinha, Xiaoxiao Tan, Ted Wiggin, compositors; Anita Chao, sr. editor; Minseok Kim, assistant editor; Lotty Vigue, production coordinator (Toolbox: Dragonframe, After Effects) Color Honest Labor Color Shawn King, colorist; Alex Rochinski, color producer. Sound Sound Lounge Rob DiFondi, audio mixer; Marshall Grupp, sound designer; Lauren Mullen, sr. producer. Manufacturing Partner Home Arcade Games.
Continuing their partnership to combat the mental health crisis among America’s youth, the Ad Council and McCann New York have released the latest installment of the “Sound It Out” campaign which focuses on helping parents and caregivers have meaningful conversations with their kids about emotional wellbeing.
The new work, “Listening is a Form of Love,” focuses on the important role parents and caregivers play in supporting young people’s emotional wellbeing and is supported by new data from Surgo Health’s Youth Mental Health Tracker. The survey highlights that: 55% of youth (ages 10-24) report mental health struggles; and one in five youth report symptoms of depression, and one in four report symptoms of anxiety.
The film includes an interactive digital experience that invites parents to practice “holding space” by pressing the space bar to listen to kids sharing what they wish their parents could hear, in their own words. Along with this literal interpretation of the active listening the campaign encourages, the website also gives valuable tools to help parents and caregivers be better listeners, and in turn, better support their kids.
There is also this 60-second PSA--directed by Alex Fischman Cardenas via Greenpoint Pictures--which underscores the power and importance of listening to your loved ones.
