To reach Old Navy's target audience of price conscious, fashion-wise teens and adults - animation, motion graphics and design studio Merola Productions LLC designed and animated a character driven spot featuring happy shoppers who reside in a photo-collaged 2-D environment. D
Press Release from Merola Productions
NEW YORK, NEW YORK –To reach Old Navy's target audience of price conscious, fashion-wise teens and adults - animation, motion graphics and design studio Merola Productions LLC designed and animated a character driven spot featuring happy shoppers who reside in a photo-collaged 2-D environment. Developed through Nickelodeon Creative Advertising, the :15 spot, created for the American clothing brand and chain of stores owned by Gap. Inc., the spot supports Old Navy’s Super Sweeeeet 16th birthday promotion and began airing nationally on all Nickelodeon related channels Oct. 4th.
Underscoring the idea that everyone gets his or her wish with Old Navy’s $16 deals, Director/Designer/Animator Eric Merola delivered the message through the facial expressions and character actions he designed for Old Navy customers who blow out a birthday candle, make a wish and see their drab clothing instantly replaced with the colorful, stylish fashions they really want.
Eric Merola explained the process. “Nickelodeon’s agency wanted a new and different spot for their 16th birthday - something silly, a bit wacky. They had a completed script and provided photos of the interior and exterior of an Old Navy store from which we created a stylized shopping environment. We then cast a mix of characters – a representative selection of satisfied Old Navy consumers - and created a stylized design based on each face. Having shot them in different poses and with different expressions, we next built digital puppets of each character. The initial work was executed in Photoshop and imported into After Effects for the completion of the animation.”
The Merola Productions creative team, headed by Designer/Director/Animator Eric Merola, included Producer Franklin Zitter, Designer David Michael Friend, Animator David Heiss and Illustrator Ryan Sias.
Merola Productions utilized a digital camera to photograph the source material, Adobe Photoshop and After Effects, PowerMac G5 Computers, and Apple Display 22” monitors in the execution of the project.
Representing Nickelodeon Creative Advertising (New York, NY) were Vice President/Creative Director Pete Johnson, Head Writer Jared Elliott, Design Director Juan Carlos Gutierrez, Executive Producer Hafeez Saheed, Writer/Producer Tom Vullo, Supervising Producer Adrienne Torrisi, Senior Project Manager Megan Filiaggi and Production Assistant John Bissert.
The final audio mix and sound design were provided by Roy Harter of SkinnyMan (New York, New York). Stock music was obtained from Extreme Music (New York, New York).
About Merola Productions LLCWorking as Merola Productions LLC since 2000, designer, director, writer and animator Eric Merola has put his considerable talents, and signature 2-D photomontage style, to work for a number of New York area creative firms and clients including Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi, Comedy Central (FlickerLab), The Speed Channel (FlickerLab), FUEL TV (INTERspectacular), Volkswagon (INTERspectacular), Hooked On Phonics (FlickerLab), WE Network (Red Moxie), Cartoon Network (Curious Pictures), A&E (FlickerLab), Campbell’s Soup (Y&R) and ESPN (Red Moxie), among many others. Merola has also freelanced at Polo/Ralph Lauren’s advertising design department; as an art director at ad agency Turf; and at Y&R, where, as a designer, he worked on a variety of blue chip consumer products.
Merola Productions spent much of the last two years producing Mr. Merola's directorial debut of the recently released documentary feature Burzynski. Earlier, Merola produced the original animated series Fly Boy. The company is currently creating a music video for comedian Denis Leary.
For additional information, contact Merola Productions LLC and Eric Merola at eric@merolaproductions.com. To see the reel and learn more please visit the Merola Productions website at www.merolaproductions.com
Credits:Title: Super Sweeeet 16Length: :15 national spot
Description: Underscoring the idea that everyone gets his or her wish with Old Navy’s $16 deals, Director/Animator Eric Merola delivered the message through the facial expressions and character actions he designed for Old Navy customers who blow out a birthday candle, makes a wish and see their drab clothing instantly replaced with colorful, stylish fashions they desire.
Production Company: Merola Productions, LLCCity/State: New York, NYDesigner/Director/Animator: Eric MerolaProducer: Franklin ZitterDesigner: David Michael FriendAnimator: David HeissIllustrator: Ryan Sias
Software/Hardware:A digital cameraAdobe - Aftereffects, PhotoshopPowerMac G5 ComputersApple Display 22” monitors
Client: Nickelodeon Creative AdvertisingCity/State: New York, New YorkVice President/Creative Director: Pete JohnsonHead Writer: Jared ElliottDesign Director: Juan Carlos GutierrezExecutive Producer: Hafeez SaheedWriter/Producer: Tom VulloSupervising Producer: Adrienne TorrisiSenior Project Manager: Megan FiliaggiProduction Assistant: John Bissert
Audio Mix/Sound Design: SkinnyManCity/State: New York, New YorkMixer/Sound Designer: Roy Harter
Stock Music: Extreme MusicCity/State: New York, New York
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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