The wolf makes peace with the lamb this holiday season in a new campaign from PUMA. Award-winning Version2 VFX/Design and editor Dave Herman were called on once again by director Andrew Zuckerman to execute the clever spots, which are an extension of ongoing creative for the client.
Previous work for PUMA as part of the "New Stuff" campaign represent the tactile experience of shopping whereby animals and humans are attracted to the product, engage with it and then take it away. The "New Stuff" campaign highlights unique new product offerings from PUMA. Visually, the campaign is very fresh and clean; the product is featured front and center on a crisp white background.
In each :15 TV spot, the animal or human interacts with the product in an adoring, distinctive way and the music featured highlights this interaction. For the new Holiday executions, Zuckerman draws inspiration from AESOP'S FABLES and decided to have one animal pass the product to another to signify the act of gift giving.
Holiday Treats features two spots developed by Zuckerman: WOLF & LAMB and TORTOISE & HARE. In the spirit of the holidays, two typical adversaries are shown gifting each other PUMA presents. A menacing soundtrack opens WOLF & LAMB, with an equally menacing wolf trotting across a stark-white set with a single PUMA shoe in its mouth. The spot cuts to an unsuspecting lamb having an awkward face-to-face with its long time predator. The tension builds as the prey is stuck in its tracks, but the wolf only wants to show its holiday spirit and leaves the lamb a gift: the shoe from PUMA. The music unwinds in jovial fashion as the wolf walks off screen to be replaced by the PUMA logo with the holiday theme, "Holiday Treats," written on a red gift-wrap ribbon.
TORTOISE & HARE embraces the same premise, pulling a switch on old storybook rivals. Despite the Hare's apparent lead, the tortoise awards its competitor with the PUMA shoe that had been sitting on top of its shell. Even long time rivals deserve "Holiday Treats" this holiday season at PUMA.
For more flexibility and safety concerns for the lamb, Zuckerman and the Version2 VFX/Design team shot each animal as a separate plate.
"This presented the immediate challenge of having to create apparent moments of quiet interaction between the animals entirely in post," explained Kieran Walsh, Version2 VFX/Design creative director. "Having everything separate enabled us to combine the best 'performances' from each animal. In keeping with PUMA's authentic look and feel for their commercials, no blue or greenscreen was used to keep the look as in-camera as possible. This required a great deal of matte cutting and rotoscoping."
In the case of the tortoise, some shots were actually combinations of different takes morphed together. One particularly tricky shot involved the tortoise retreating into its shell as a sneaker drops off its back. While the shot looks practical in the end composite, Version2 VFX/Design artists performed an extensive amount of Inferno work. Walsh also opted for an HD finish to retain all of the fine detail on the edges. This ensured the best possible quality for the end result.
The Version2 group is a creative collective that includes editing, graphic design, CGI and visual effects. The group works collaboratively and independently in the commercial, broadcast and film arenas.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
