Partnership with London-based Blinkink brings raft of commercial animation talent stateside including Greg Barth, the Layzell Bros., Elliot Dear, Joseph Mann, Chris Bristow, Nicos Livesey and Becky & Joe.
LOS ANGELES -- Ruffian has opened a new animation division in partnership with London-based commercial production house Blinkink. The move brings a wealth of animated talent stateside with an artistic roster including Greg Barth, the Layzell Bros., Elliot Dear, Joseph Mann, Chris Bristow, Nicos Livesey and Becky & Joe.
“If animation could be dangerous to you, this would be it,” company founder and executive producer Robert Herman comments. “These guys are full-on, unapologetic visual vandals. Their work shows no sign of holding back as they hit viewers with a grungy-pop cocktail of colors and a commentary which exposes the ridiculousness of reality.”
The Layzell Bros. joined Ruffian after collecting the coveted Film Grand Prix Award from Cannes Lions 2016 for Harvey Nichols’ “Shoplifters” via Adam & Eve/DDB. The short features CCTV footage of criminals stealing from Harvey Nichols stores, with their faces replaced with animated cartoon-villain caricatures, sly work that also collected a D&AD Yellow Pencil and Gold Pencil at The One Show.
Popular animated series Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared by Becky & Joe is a wild run of R-rated films viewed over 33 million times online, subverting classic Henson musical experiences to absurd and perverse lengths:
“Our business is dramatically different now,” Herman adds. “Brands have become incredibly bespoke. We need to create content in whatever form best fits the brand’s message. Offering world-class animators is a big step toward becoming a multi-disciplined production studio.
“We are storytellers at heart,” he continues. “Clients need production expertise, somewhere they can put all the pieces together. Craft will always be a sought after commodity. We bring additional value to the creative process by offering talent and a skillset that elevates brand identity in a positive and cost effective manner.”
News of the animation division opening follows on the heels of Ruffian’s first campaign work stateside directed by Tim Bullock for Charter Spectrum via Saatchi & Saatchi, New York. Ruffian is represented by Bueno on the West Coast, RepresentationCo on the East Coast, and Dawn Rao in the Midwest.
Source: Ruffian
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.
