For KNGF’s new “The world of…” - campaign we tell the story of those who need the help of an assistance dog and convey how it alters their life for the better.
We pitched a novel design approach for the animation style where we felt we could really strengthen the story using animation. Selmore agency led the shift for this new brand strategy with more focus on the impact assistance dogs have on the lives of those who need them.
This campaign is about people.
This emotional and human touch was a primary focus as we developed both the art style of the campaign and the storyboards for the first film The story of Rose. In the end, it’s all really tied together with the fine details. With the characteristic details in the animation portraying the emotions and carried along with the standout art style visualizing the emotions and transformations of Rose’s world.
Telling the story of Rose
In Rose’s story we follow her close relationship with her boyfriend Teun. Rose is wheelchair-bound and requires assistance on a regular basis just to get around. We tell the story of how, on an emotional level, this influences the close relationship between the loving couple. The constant required care from Teun makes their intimate relationship more distant. Care that a KNGF assistance dog can take over so that Rose’s partner can be her partner again.
This campaign is about people. This emotional and human touch was a primary focus as we developed both the art style of the campaign and the storyboards for the first film The story of Rose. In the end, it’s all really tied together with the fine details. With the characteristic details in the animation portraying the emotions and carried along with the standout art style visualizing the emotions and transformations of Rose’s world. Then that is all taken to the next level with the beautiful vocals and music by HAEVN.
“Animation was the perfect medium to tell the story in a way that the emotions could be told visually yet remain close to the characters’ personalities.”
Concept Art & Character Design
Telling a human story requires truly human characters. We approached it like casting a live-action shoot. From initial character descriptions and a moodboard we concepted the look and feel for Teun and Rose. Soft personalities and friendly faces were key to show both the loving aspect of the film and have the transformation to the more distant relationship hitting the right string. For the right dog all we had to do was stick close to real KNGF assistance dogs, because they are as loving as dogs can get!
This allowed us to tell a story the audience can feel, have them bond with Rose and Teun and leave an imprint. All in a mere 25 seconds.
We pride ourselves on the broad spectrum of styles we offer or tend to develop for a specific project. Our passion for character development, storytelling, and design blends itself well in our style exploration phase. Very rarely a commercial project comes along that enables us to harness all these powers into one and gives us the ability to fully develop a brand new technique, resulting in a never-seen-before style.
We try to apply a method of painting where with each iteration a pass of detailing is added. Guiding the viewer’s eye to the so-called ‘point of interest’. Large brushstrokes are applied to ‘unimportant’ areas or objects, resulting in course color splotches. Finer strokes and crisp outlines are applied to the characters and mainly their faces, enhancing the readability of expressions and emotions.
By playing with the brush size, position and roughness we can have the real world and Rose’s ‘dreamworld’ stand apart and transition from one to another.
What makes the style for ‘The Worlds of…” campaign so fitting is the fact that the artist’s hand can be felt by the audience. Each brushstroke carefully thought through, every color and shape curated.
Transferring the appropriate emotions, by telling the story through people. Artists, storytellers, lovers, husbands and wives.
