Ogilvy/NY looked to Charged Studios and director Adam Pierce to usher in a new age of package delivery for UPS. Using a hybrid of live-action and stop-motion animation, the campaign promotes UPS's new My Choice service, which provides customers with package information electronically, turning their old paper notices into a "dinosaur"... literally.
The spot, "UPS My Choice" opens with a breeze from a kitchen window scattering a stack of UPS Info Notices on the counter top into the air. Magically, they transform... landing as a mini origami T-Rex. As the paper dinosaur explores his new world, contemporary gadgets and devices rain down on him. The T-Rex stumbles over a laptop with an announcement on the screen that reads: "UPS Info Notices will now be sent via text and email." In a desperate attempt to escape extinction, the "dinosaur" tries to hide, only to be squished by a UPS package. Our hapless T-Rex survives, but its clear that a new dawn in the evolution of UPS package delivery has arrived.
"Using the iconic UPS Info Notice to make the T-Rex hero was the creative catalyst," said Pierce. "Paper is tricky in stop-motion... it's delicate work, but our team did a great job bringing our prehistoric hero to life."
Charged Producer Mike Landry guided the project from concept to completion, initially tapping storyboard artist Tom Connor to help put Pierce's vision into pitch form for Ogilvy. Adam Miller was brought on to lead the team of fabricators in armature and puppet design. Lead animator Pete Levin along with assistants Peter Blank and Esther Casas Roura completed the animation team.
Operator Richard Coppola employed his motion control rig to capture the counter top adventure at close range. "Adam (Pierce) wanted the viewer to travel right along with our hero... to discover this new world as he did..." Director of photography Mike Eder worked along side Coppola to tackle the visual challenges of the storytelling.
The production was filmed on three separate stages at Charged using Canon 7Ds with Nikon Lenses. 7D's ability to shoot not only 1080p live action but also high res digital stills made it the perfect camera for the job.
Seamless blending of live action plates with the stop-mo puppet was achieved in Adobe After Effects. Editor Andy Harmon used Final Cut Pro for all final comps.
Ogilvy was thrilled with the final product. "We especially love the articulation and life-like quality of the T-Rex character," commented Jennifer Hays from Ogilvy's creative team. Along with Hays, Ogilvy creative Renee Rotkopf immediately clicked with the team at Charged, and found the full service experience of the studio to be a distinct advantage.
"Having access to every department under one roof allowed Ogilvy to work directly with everyone at Charged, from production designer Kevin O'Donnell to sound designer Daron Murphy," said Pierce. "This helped to make the entire job an incredibly rewarding experience for both the agency and the production team. "