DigitasLBi enlists Motion Theory director Mathew Cullen to direct ‘Factory’ for Maytag, with visual effects provided by MTh sister company Mirada.
Los Angeles, CA -- Motion Theory director Mathew Cullen was recently enlisted by global marketing and technology agency DigitasLBi to direct a new spot, “Factory,“ for Maytag Brand that includes some of the company's actual factories and employees.
Shot partially on location at multiple American Maytag Factories, the spot portrays the iconic Maytag Man being created on a full-scale assembly line including 6 real-life Maytag factory employees. Hats, buttons, perfectly pressed uniforms, and rows upon rows of actual Maytag Men are hand built and stamped out in perfect precision across an array of gleaming factory machines.
“After successfully reintroducing the Maytag Man into homes, this was our opportunity to show people just how much goes into creating a Maytag product,” said Mike Frease, SVP, Group Creative Director at DigitasLBI Chicago. “Many consumers have never seen just how much hard work and technology goes into these machines at our factories. Combine that epic-ness with the metaphor of the Maytag Man taking on the role of Maytag appliances, we knew we had something special that would translate to the creative.”
“The American spirit is alive within the factories we visited.” said Cullen, “I wanted to tell the origin story of the beloved Maytag Man in a way that felt like the embodiment of the American work ethic. I wanted to reveal the source of his great confidence and durability, and the dynamic camaraderie from which he is forged.”
Cullen was brought onto the project by DigitasLBi who had developed the notable campaign. The origin story showcases the company’s dedication to quality, its employees and pride in making appliances that are better built. To establish the appearance of hundreds of Maytag Man characters required a wide variety of techniques. “From practical effects to motion control, CG doubles and more; there was a lot that went into the synchronicity between man and machine,” Cullen remarked,” I wanted the workers to feel as if they were breathing life into the Maytag Man with a kinship that solidified, and propelled, the entire building process.”
Special attention was made during production to ensure that the Maytag men, both live action and digital doubles, were choreographed to perform in a complementary way, moving like one finely tuned machine. Motion Theory sister company Mirada provided all of the spot’s visual effects.
Source: Motion Theory
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
