We celebrate bold content from across the web to inspire marketers and content creators.
In celebration of the arrival of our fantastic new Animation Producer, Hannah Webb, we’re taking a deep dive into the wonderful world of animation this week. There’s plenty of inspiration to be found in the techniques and styles that Hannah has handpicked for your viewing pleasure.
Animated ‘Aardman’ rebranding and a new Wallace and Gromit
Having grown up with Aardman animations, their brand evokes fond memories throughout the nation so a rebrand is a big deal. Just over a week ago, the stop-motion studio launched their new branding. It includes a fantastic animated GIF depicting thumbprints in the background, paying homage to their clay animation roots. A simple and clear way to celebrate their past as they pave the way for British stop-motion.
For any readers looking to freshen up their branding in 2022 the approach that Aardman took is an interesting read: https://www.aardman.com/latest-news/aardman-rebrand.
Also, the studio revealed the news we’ve been waiting over 20 years for; a long-awaited sequel to ‘Chicken Run’ shall be released on Netflix next year entitled ‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget’, followed by a new movie featuring their beloved Wallace and Gromit in 2024 – https://www.aardman.com/latest-news/
Music video for ‘Take Over’ by Tom Rosenthal
In our experience abstract animation is something that corporate marketers often shy away from in fear of their audience not getting the message. But here we find a storyteller who uses abstract animation in a creative and clear way to get across very human stories.
In the music video for ‘Take Over’ by Tom Rosenthal, beautiful hand-drawn animations by Hannah Jacobs perfectly encapsulate the lyrics “show me wonders”. This whimsical animation demonstrates how abstract elements can tell an emotional story, communicate a simple message, and hold the attention of the viewer.
The gorgeous, illustrative aesthetic is an approach that lends itself to explainer videos, case studies or anything dealing with human connections. More info about Hannah Jacobs can be found here:
https://www.creativereview.co.uk/hannah-jacobs-animator-illustrator/
The Cuphead Show
For anyone wanting a trip down memory lane, keep your eyes peeled for ‘The Cuphead Show’ which is due to launch next month. Commissioned by Netflix, the new animated series is inspired by the very addictive, hit indie game which was released back in 2017. It uses the retro ‘rubberhose’ animation, popularised by the likes of Max Fleischer in the 1930’s, and is a refreshing, nostalgic side step to the clean and contemporary animation of today. Vintage aesthetics have been making quite the comeback on the animation scene, so this is a fantastic reference for anyone wanting to tell a story with quirky characters or looking for something creative to stand out from the crowd. We are obsessed!
Ginga Kogen Beer Brand Video
And finally, we have an awe-inspiring animation which uses a papercut shadowplay technique to take the audience on a journey. Production company Taiyo Kikaku have applied an ancient storytelling technique to modern methods for Ginga Kogen Beer. Created by three-dimensional objects, cloth, real liquids, and human hands.
This company understands that the medium is part of the message and uses animation to communicate the magic surrounding the brand story. Check out their stunning brand video.
This reindeer-led odyssey contains similarities to a video that we created recently using light boxes as a reference. We’re incredibly excited to be working in this style again for a new project, so watch this space…