Gentleman Scholar recently teamed up with Seattle-based agency WONGDOODY for the media launch of Brightspot, Target’s new mobile phone service that launched in collaboration with T-Mobile. The full-service studio handled every facet of production and post on a pair of 15 second spots, merging live-action footage of each spot’s lead actor – one male, one female – with a pencil-drawn animated world that unfolds into a colorful cityscape.
“We wanted to create a simple world that revealed itself as something more grandiose, while highlighting the benefits of Brightspot’s service,” explained Gentleman Scholar director and CD William Campbell.
The GS team engaged in a meticulous planning process to create the spot’s final look. To ensure that the campaign would adhere to the 15-second time limit, production and post teams blocked every moment of the campaign with painstaking detail – from camera moves to scene actions to timing – and generated thorough previz animations before filming a single shot. The result is a narrative that merges live-action with visuals and typography that smartly positions the key features of the new service.
“We learned long ago that, to make a successful campaign, you have to let go of the idea that you’re sacrificing your art if you’re simultaneously working to create really effective marketing,” said Campbell. “Instead, we look for how we can create art out of messaging. Rather than just showing some mundane scene of a girl walking down a street, we worked with the creatives to build this invigorating world.”
The campaign marks Gentleman Scholar’s first collaboration with WONGDOODY. “They had a specific aesthetic in mind, and we worked closely with them to cultivate a complementary style and technique,” said Gentleman Scholar director and CD Will Johnson.
The spots aired during the Grammy Awards, and will also be broadcasted in the Super Bowl pre- and post-game shows on Feb. 2, as well as other high profile televised events.
