Animated, megalomaniacal germs voiced by Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry are just part of what drew creative boutique Assemble to the recent Domestos campaign. Charged with directing and producing spots for eleven markets, Assemble attacked the project with the intensity of the product advertised, albeit with an appropriate dose of humor. From the in-person pitch to Lowe Worldwide and Unilever, to production and delivery of the completed spots, the process was a sparkling success.
"The scope of the project was vast in part because the agency was willing to let us embellish and enhance the presentation, and to have fun with the execution," says Assemble Co-Director/Co-Creative Director Mauricio Baiocchi. "We all agreed that an epic style would be more entertaining to watch and, admittedly, to create."
In the spots the germs are Emperors, drunk with power and the desire to take over the world (as they know it) with Limescale and disease. But their devious plans are revealed to be foolhardy in the face of Domestos, which eliminates the germ force and its dirty minions. Working from the agency story boards, Assemble designed the 3D characters and environments bringing the vignettes to animated life. Additionally, Assemble directed the voice talent - the powerhouse duo of Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry.
"Honestly, there wasn't that much we had to do in the voice over session," laughs Assemble Co-Director/Co-Creative Director Asa Hammond. "These guys are such pros and so hilarious that we felt honored just to be the audience to their performance."
While the animation process was far more complex than the voice talent session, Berkeley-based Assemble and the agency in London benefited from their eight-hour time difference. Assemble posted work to view in the evening, and would have notes from the agency team by morning (pacific standard time). They would then provide changes by the time the agency returned to work the following day. In the end, Assemble delivered two high-end animated spots all via a virtual and timely collaboration.
"The nice thing about working with a small shop like ours is that the artists are close to the creative feedback. The person the client is talking to is likely the same one setting the keyframes or designing the look, so the conversation keeps closer to the work, with less translation, less in the abstract,"concludes Co-Director/Co-Creative Director Mauricio Baiocchi.
Client: Unilever / Domestos
Agency: Lowe Worldwide
Creative Director: Basil Mina
Global Communications Director: Helen Bell
Unilever Regional Business Director: William Dixon
Account Director: Eddie Gapper
Account Manager: Marc Horne Producer: Nick Peers
Production Assistants: Ben Roberts & Rory O'connell
Animation/VFX: Assemble
Executive Producer: Mark Medernach DUCK
Producer: Juan Bronson
Creative Directors: Mauricio Baiocchi and Asa Hammond
Artists: Austin Cable, Kate Choi, Steve Ferrera, Jonathan Lyons, Meats Meyer, Natalie Nolan, Dan Seneres, Alan Sperling, Zack Klinger
Sound Design: Go Girl Productions
Sound Designers: Paula Gallitano & Jimi Randolph
VO & Mix: Margarita Mix/Hollywood