Stash Media names “Real Complainers Vote” from Third Street Advertising and Foundation Content the Best Viral Spot of 2012.
Creative Director Kyle Shoup at Foundation Content in Chicago: "There are truisms, and then there are 'really truisms'. And one of them is the notion that a person doesn't have the right to complain, if he or she didn't bother to vote. Democrat, Republican, or fiercely Independent - it is a rally cry that transcends political affiliations. And yet while the number of complainers continues to increase, those who express their feelings in the voting booth continues to decrease.
"The themes of Hands-On and Handmade were two ideas that guided the development of of this project since it is all about empowering the individual to vote. Foundation Content looked into incorporating some of the visual landscape associated with grass roots and DIY movements like Occupy.
"We decided to explore making things that would appear within the viral video out of paper and cardboard, as well as using a stop-motion style for some of the animation. It was important to pull back the curtain a bit on the process, to show the human element behind some of the animation, and likewise provide some human perspective to a political process that can feel overwhelming.
"The result was a piece that incorporated stop-motion, handmade, 2D and 3D design and animation. Mixed media is really what this piece became, and it gives the message an unusual (and I think compelling) look. Playful visual hooks will stick with you, and you're more likely to remember the message of the piece because watching it becomes a fun, participatory experience.
"I was really excited to collaborate with Ray Noland (aka C.R.O.) I knew he was already locked into the world of political commentary through his prolific street art around Chicago, and that his handmade approach would lead to some unique visuals inside of the piece. Ray and I discussed the script and some of the initial ideas we had, and he then began to create for a solid two weeks as an artist in residence within our studio. In the end it was my job to take the resulting pieces and decide how best to integrate them with some of the elements that I developed into a cohesive narrative. I think Real Complainers Vote ultimately benefits from the variety of visual elements and textures we wove together, making it a truly mixed-media piece."
Third Street associate creative director Max Mearsheimer: "A lot of PSAs about getting out the vote have been made - and too often they just don't stand out. Our take was to try a different approach and sell the merits of complaining - really celebrating complaining - as a path to motivation to vote."
Source: Foundation Content
