FX Goby, the acclaimed director and illustrator at Nexus Productions [1], has directed a new Christmas advertising campaign for Vodafone Ireland. Created by communications agency Grey London, and devised by Creative Director Simon Bortheson, the ad conveys Vodafone’s message that ‘Great Surprises’ make a great Christmas.
FX Goby was tasked with translating the style of illustrator Sanna Annuka [2], into a beautiful piece of animation. A full CG approach was used giving the characters a tactile feel, inspired by the lacquered Wooden Swedish Dala Horses, all captured using a filmic treatment, to give the impression of being shot with real cameras and lighting in a studio environment.
The story follows a young reindeer coming home for Christmas, and his mother plotting a surprise celebration with all of their friends to welcome him back. Along the way, the animation captures detailed performances of the characters, giving them the warmth and humanity that the story calls for, along with a few touches of humour.
The music was composed by Phil Kay and was created to reflect the mood of the film and each character. It was recorded with the Manchester Camerata Orchestra, adding an epic musical background to a beautiful Christmas tale.
Julia Parfitt, Head of Production, says: "We had such a great starting point on this campaign with Sanna Annukka's original 2D designs and the challenge was to retain the integrity of her work yet move it forward to create an emotional piece of animation. FX and the Nexus studio really pushed the look & design and the result is a truly heartwarming story of communication and homecoming."
Source: Nexus Productions
Links:
[1] http://www.nexusproductions.com/
[2] http://www.sanna-annukka.com
[3] https://vimeo.com/help/faq/embedding