How INFINITI’s Pixar-Style Animation Captured Family Values
When creating content for a specific market, it’s important to make characters and settings feel familiar to the audience. INFINITI and Publicis Q kept this in mind when crafting a campaign for the car company’s latest SUV launch.
Following the style of a Pixar animation, the campaign features locations and characters which feel familiar to the Middle East - the target audience of this spot. With animations designed for the Arab region, the goal was to “make an ad that didn’t feel like an ad,” according to Publicis Q’s creative director Eduardo Branco. Using a movie-style storyline, the campaign aimed to be viewed as a branded piece of content, rather than a traditional ad. The result is a spot which resonates with parents and entertains children, tapping into the target demographic.
Eduardo tells LBB’s Nisna Mahtani how the team created the animated film, how it’s different from a traditional ad, and how Sara, the protagonist, delivers “gags that are surely worth watching.”
LBB> What did INFINITI set out to capture in this campaign? What was the initial brief?
Eduardo> INFINITI wanted to launch their innovative, game-changing family SUV: the QX60. So, we started by mapping out families and their habits, because every brief starts with questions and a deep understanding of your audience.
LBB> When did you decide that an animated spot would be best to convey this story?
Eduardo> Off the bat, we knew what we didn’t want to do: shoot the typical car commercial with picturesque shots and a motivating voice-over. The reason for this was because we didn’t feel like that would connect with families (or anyone, really). At the same time, we realised that families love holding movie nights and watching content together. So, why not make an animated film for the whole family to enjoy?
LBB> You mentioned that you didn’t want this to feel like an ad, but more like entertainment. Can you tell us how this played into the storyline for the piece?
Eduardo> Ultimately, making a branded content/entertainment piece is different from doing an ad. You need to think about what will resonate with the audience, how to bring the product in a natural way, and essentially, ponder ‘are people going to genuinely enjoy this?’. Out of 20-something storylines, we picked the ballet presentation because it resonated with parents and deconstructed the traditional family structure, portraying dad in an expectedly female role – as a ballet tutor.
LBB> When it comes to the animation, what was the timescale for creation like?
Eduardo> It took around 16 weeks to deliver the full animated film. The process included designing the characters, developing their personalities and body language, and essentially making the car look as stunning as in real life. Working alongside Zombie Studios and Dani Salles had been on my wish list for years, and I’m glad we managed to collaborate with them on this one.
LBB> Did you face any challenges during the animation process, and what was the trickiest aspect to create?
Eduardo> I must admit, the whole process was really pleasurable, from designing the characters to seeing them moving around. I guess the trickiest aspect was settling on the sequencing/timing of the film, since we wanted people to feel something after watching it. That meant trying different shot sequences/scene timing combinations to give the important scenes enough time to deliver real emotions.
LBB> It’s great to see characters and locations that are designed for the Arab region - can you tell us about how that played into the spot as well?
Eduardo> How many Pixar/Disney/Hollywood animations portray Arabs? We couldn’t think of many. So, that gave us an even bigger desire to make our characters reflect the region. People long to see themselves in films and shows, so it only made sense to go down this route.
LBB> When the ‘WOW’ sign turns into ‘MOM’, it’s a fantastic moment. Did you always know that would be the first ending and was the rest of the campaign created around it?
Eduardo> It’s funny you ask, because this was only brought in after we reworked the script. In the original idea, dad always had a ‘WOW’ sign to praise his kid, but it was just there. I guess we saw the word so many times that it gave us the idea of flipping it and using it to signal mom’s arrival.
LBB> Can you tell us about some details we may have missed when watching the campaign for the first time?
Eduardo> When watching the film for a second or third time, I suggest focusing mainly on Sara, the youngest daughter. She’s always being a little rascal and delivering gags that are surely worth watching.
LBB> Let’s talk about the song choice, how did you decide on it and what made it the ideal choice for the spot?
Eduardo> Sound is hugely important in an animation like this. It guides the film, accentuates every emotion, and allows viewers to be immersed in the story. So, we brought in David Bessler and the Halley team to create a truly unique, original composition, and they delivered a beautiful, indie-sounding piece that I’d happily hear in my own car.
LBB> Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Eduardo> Not really. I’d just recommend people watch the film with their kids and drop a comment or like if they feel like it.
