What does it take to get your creative juices flowing? Recently for us, it was the opportunity to show how a popular video technique can help a food brand break through the clutter.
Our fun animated ad introducing Maglio Produce’s individually wrapped pineapple spears only takes a minute to watch, but we spent several creative hours bringing it to “fruition!”
So now, let’s rewind for a quick look at what happened behind the scenes.
The Set-Up
Maglio needed to jump-start localized buying behavior as proof of concept for their new pineapple spears product. So they asked us to create a digital geo-fencing ad that could:
- Capture attention and imaginations
- Convey a lot of info about an unfamiliar product
- Target a distinct demographic: Hispanic moms
- Reach a defined geographic area
- Encourage purchase at a specific retailer
- And stand out from the competition
The Catalyst
Knowing that a video ad is the #1 way consumers discover a brand they later purchase from, we just needed to decide what vibe we wanted this video to convey. We quickly agreed stop motion animation was the natural choice! This technique was made for the role. Stop motion:
- Combines visuals, audio, movement, and storytelling
- Makes inanimate objects come to life
- Creates a more relatable brand
- Is mobile-friendly for on-the-go access
- Offers infinite creative freedom
The Plot
The story we wanted to tell was simple. We’d show what could magically happen on a busy “Maglio Morning” when those convenient pre-cut pineapple spears were in the house. Next, we needed to set the stage for our tale to come to life.
The Scene
A quick trip to Target revealed a whole aisle of inspiring (and even pineapple-themed!) merch, yielding the perfect props for our visual script. Back at SLS, we created a bright kitchen backdrop for demonstrating how moms can easily feed and please their families with Maglio’s pineapple spears.
The Shoot
Here’s where the real creativity kicked in. We created the illusion of movement by physically manipulating our props in tiny increments and shooting individual frames of each motion—and then doing it all again and again. We used things as diverse as duct tape, dental floss, and stacks of business cards in unexpected ways in order to meticulously and magically recreate what was happening in the kitchen—making a smoothie, packing a lunch, sneaking a snack. Of course, the pineapple spears were clearly the stars of the show—as you can see by this behind the scenes footage!
The Final Cut
After the shoot came the painstaking task of editing all those frames into a cohesive, continuous, and engaging mini movie. But playing the animation back in sequence was worth it all. The visual effect of household objects moving with minimal human intervention was so much fun to watch. For the finishing touches, we added a chalkboard with animated text narrating the action of this busy “Maglio Morning” and used upbeat music to add another layer to our story.
The Reviews
Our stop motion video ad captured a lot of attention among the target demographic and even picked up a halo of other potential customers who want to have a Maglio morning too! It also took home some creative industry video awards along the way.
If you’re looking to create a fun, fresh, and inviting encounter with your brand, products, services, or promotions, let’s talk about all our video production and marketing capabilities, including stop motion. It just might be the start of a very “fruitful” relationship.
Brian Fuller is Street Level Studio’s Creative Director.
