Lexus Launches ‘Swarm’ for ‘Amazing in Motion’

CHI & Partners today announced the launch of ‘Swarm’, the second project in the Lexus ‘Amazing in Motion’ global brand campaign series. 

‘Swarm’ is the result of a creative and innovative collaboration between Lexus, Director Sam Brown of Rogue Films and KMel Robotics. ‘Swarm’ takes existing quadrotor technology out of its typical engineering environment and moves it into real world settings and locations. The result is a playful story of quads exploring the city at night while we sleep. 

View the spot here.

The campaign will run globally across TV, cinema, print, outdoor, digital channels and social media. 

The quadrotor technology developed by KMel Robotics uses innovative 3D mapping software, complex algorithms and motion capture camera equipment. Each quadrotor has reflective markers that respond to infrared light emitted by the cameras. Over 100 times per second each quadrotor is finding out where it is and working out where it should be, in order to achieve precise, synchronized and amazing movements. 

The bespoke quadrotors created for ‘Swarm’ took design cues from Lexus vehicles, including the iconic spindle grille, LED headlights and LFA exhaust. The ambition was to bring warmth and personality to an existing colder technology, and the design brief was to balance both high-tech circuitry and aerodynamics with character animation.  

‘Swarm’ was filmed in Vancouver, Canada at multiple city locations including a public swimming pool, local supermarket, a vintage barber shop, hotel and the famous Museum of Anthropology designed by Canadian architect Arthur Erickson. 

Lexus commissioned Jonathan Goldstein to compose a cartoon-inspired original track, and this was recorded by a 56-piece orchestra in Angel Recording Studios in London. 

Credits

Client: Atsushi Takada, General Manager, Lexus International
Creative agency: CHI & Partners
Quadrotor Technology: Daniel Mellinger, Alex Kushleyev, Travis Van Schoyck and Jonathan Davis of KMEL Robotics
ECD: Jon Burley 
CDs: Monty Verdi, Micky Tudor
Copywriter:  Rob Webster, Alexei Berwitz, Dan Fisher
Art director: Alexei Berwitz, Rob Webster, Rick Brim
Digital Creatives: Sergio Alves, Chad Warner
Planner: Rebecca Munds
Business Director: Jack Shute
Account Manager: Catherine Peacock
Account Executive: Hannah White

TV Producer: David Jones, CHI & Partners
Production Company: Rogue Films  
Director: Sam Brown
Producer: Kate Hitchings
DOP: Franz Lustig
Editor: Tim Thornton-Allan
Post-production: The Mill.  Head of 2D: Jonathan Westly.  Head of 3D: Michael Chapman
Audio post-production: Sam Ashwell at 750mph
Music Composition: Jonathan Goldstein

Digital Producer: Emma Hodson, CHI & Partners 
Content Production Company: Rogue Content
Content Director: Mark Jenkinson
Content Producer: Tom Farley
Content Editor: Jose Gomez