Claritin rolled out this animated music video for its The Outsideologist Project, an online program designed to get kids to spend one more hour per week outside. Produced by ATKPLN in Dallas for Energy BBDO, Chicago, the video sprung from an original composition, “Unboring Starts with U,” written and performed by Mophonics composer and creative director Casey Gibson. The tune teaches kids weird facts about neighborhood creatures, fun ideas for outdoor activities, and how “unboring” kids’ own backyards or local parks can be.

The music video--which earned #1 slot distinction in SHOOT’s quarterly Top Ten Tracks Chart--takes the form of a 2-D animation/miniatures live-action mash-up created by ATKPLN. Daniel DelPurgatorio served as director/executive creative director for ATKPLN, with Sofie Edvardsson as animation director and Jakob Nystrom as animation supervisor.

Among the “unboring” aspects of the two-minute music video are a tree and flowers that sing, promoting the fun of the great outdoors ranging from looking at clouds, jumping in puddles, watching nature, flora, fauna and insects, just getting out and playing sports, games or whatever. A tree imparts via lyrics several odd “unboring” facts like a bee has five eyes, butterflies taste with their feet, and rabbits eat their own poop. There are lessons to be learned and oddities to look out for if you’re a nature lover.

Connecting with Energy BBDO
Mophonics’ Gibson said that Energy BBDO reached out with an inspiring and well-thought-out brief. 

“We love writing songs--it’s why many of us got into the commercial music business in the first place--and when we were told our tune would eventually be animated into a full-length music video, we knew we had an opportunity to create something very special,” noted Gibson. “[Senior copywriter] Tanvi [Tandon]’s enthusiasm on that first call was infectious, and the creative leeway we were given allowed us to get really weird with the lyrics--and we love weird.”

Gibson added that the “biggest challenge” for “Unboring Starts with U” was “deciding which lyrics made the final cut. We had dozens of ‘alt’ jokes and couplets for every little part of the story that were left on the cutting room floor--and it was definitely hard to say goodbye to some of them. Luckily, from day one, we felt like we had a wonderful and effortless mind meld with the creative team from Energy BBDO. So, while we had to collectively make some hard decisions, we pretty much always reached a consensus when it came to those tough calls!”

The music video was designed to advance Claritin’s initiative to get more kids outside, physically active and engaged in endeavors that contribute to fun and mental and emotional well-being. 

The Bayer-owned Claritin brand has embraced the Outsideologist Project as a multiyear initiative. It will advertise the Outsideologist concept and video tutorials on social media. The brand has arranged for an advisory board of experts to come up with fun outdoor activities parents can suggest to their kids.

In addition to Gibson, the team at Mophonics included creative director Stephan Altman and executive producer Colette Huemer. Frank Pittenger of ATKPLN served as sound designer and audio post mixer.

Besides copywriter Tandon, the Energy BBDO creative team included chief creative officers Josh Gross and Pedro Perez, executive creative director Susan Treacy, creative directors Gloria Dussenberry and Manuel Torres, sr. art director Jason Murray, head of integrated production John Pratt, executive producer Vanessa Luhr, producer Chris Totzke, executive director of music Daniel Kuypers and music producer Nick Maker.

Click here for the quarterly Top Ten Tracks Chart.