BURST: How Beautiful VFX Helped the Oral Care Brand to Flourish

There’s more to visual effects than visuals. They also set a tone, at times communicating part of a brand’s identity and setting an expectation for quality. That’s certainly true for BURST, an oral care brand which aims to “turn an outdated industry dominated by dinosaurs upside down”. 

Founded by, in the brand’s own words, “two passionate dental nerds with a knack for never settling”, quality was in BURST’s DNA. And so, when it came to bringing their communications to life in a way that aligned with that commitment, they turned to creative studio Warm & Fuzzy. 

“We were approached by one of the founders, Hamish, very early on via cold call”, recalls W&F’s head of production John Bashyam. “He saw some of the work we had done, and wanted us to make a launch video for their very first toothbrush product”. 

From that moment the team didn’t look back. Off the back of the brand’s successful launch, the W&F team swiftly found themselves crafting increasingly high-end visuals to promote BURST’s various products and offerings. “I think about a year or so into doing various projects with them we realised that the workload was steadily increasing. Not only were we doing product launch videos, but we were also working with their web and product teams to create digital renders for the ever-growing product pages on their website and other sales channels”, notes producer Krissy Engelson. “Normally this was done with photography, but we were able to streamline the process and do it all digitally which allowed for the creation of content even before the product was manufactured”. 

With that bespoke workflow in place, the team has produced a slew of head-turning work. For example, there’s a tactile quality to their ‘Burst Berry’ ad which leaves viewers wanting to reach out and touch the screen. 

And it’s no coincidence that the long-running nature of the relationship between BURST and W&F is seeing such stellar results with increasingly creative flair. For the launch of the Curve Sonic Toothbrush, for example, the W&F team decided to take the product ‘on vacation’. 

“We work closely and collaboratively with the creative team at Burst on these more in-depth animated films, and taking the toothbrush on vacation was no exception”, says Krissy. “It was a concept that came about after several rounds of revision between both teams, and a decision to just make things as weird as possible”. 

As John goes on to explain, that level of creative harmony has been a byproduct of the team’s journey alongside BURST. “Working with Burst over the years has been a great way to build a working relationship where we can anticipate their needs and execute requests efficiently and quickly, thanks to our familiarity with their products and branding”, he says. “We keep a library of 3D assets of each of their products that we’re able to use across all of their content requests, so we have a bit of a head start when new requests come in, since we usually have the product model already set up”. 

When pushed to pick out a favourite piece of work from across the length of that relationship, John decisively points to ‘Burst Lavender’. “It’s my favourite project with Burst, and possibly one of our favourite portfolio pieces of any client”, he explains. “Creating an environment full of blooming CG florals was a complicated task from a technical animation perspective, but turned out to be a creatively rewarding experience”. 

From an outside perspective, what’s so affirming about W&F’s relationship with BURST is how it exemplifies the old-fashioned benefits of a long-term creative relationship. Trust is the virtue that comes with a record of delivering quality work over a number of years, and both brand and creatives are now enjoying the benefits. 

Asked to explain the psychology behind the success of longer-running creative relationships, John is reflective. “I think it’s first and foremost about simply producing good quality work. If the work speaks for itself, then the rest becomes easier”, he says. “Everyone’s happy if the product looks great at the end of the day. We also strive to be as accommodating as possible with extra requests, discounts, etc. Customer service is really important to us, and our producers value developing long term relationships and fostering good communication”. 

In a sense, the success behind W&F and BURST’s relationship is a lot like brushing your teeth. There’s a combination of regular care and attention alongside a great product, after all. And the result is a brand that’s shining brightly.