Creative agency And Company created a 360 campaign for WEBTOON, a digital comics platform with more than 10 million daily readers. Geared towards expanding the Korean brand’s presence in the U.S. market, the campaign is highlighted by this :60 anthem spot, "Find Yours," for theatrical and broadcast, directed by Matt Hoffman via HB Films with visual effects provided by Electric Theatre Collective.
WEBTOON gives comic book fans and artists an intuitive platform to create, publish, and share original comics. Tasked with generating buzz around the service for new and existing users alike, And Company focused the “Find Yours” campaign on WEBTOON’s powerful storytelling tools for creators, while celebrating the diverse, large-scale community it fosters: users can access thousands of stories in any genre from a range of artists–anytime, anywhere, and for free on iOS and Android.
This :60 centerpiece of the campaign captures the premium quality of WEBTOON and the transportive experience it offers. The cinematic piece kicks off with a young woman’s idea on a sketchpad before morphing into a surreal comic book world, as a web of viewers is drawn into her story via the WEBTOON mobile app.
“We wanted to make the anthem spot as aspirational and cinematic as possible in order to express the endless possibilities that the WEBTOON platform offers – whether you’re a creator or comic book fan looking to discover something new,” said And Company creative director Joshua Smith. “We found that what ultimately bonds the WEBTOON community is a shared passion for great stories, so we focused the campaign on that familiar feeling of being immersed in a captivating story–when the world falls away and you’re in this stolen moment, or you’re picking it back up any chance you get.”
And Company cast dancers as the WEBTOON users floating into the comics world, achieved through a combination of in-camera effects and VFX. Hoffman and DP David G. Wilson shot the performers on a green screen with the Bolt camera, which is designed to move at ultra-high speeds. Electric Theatre Collective was brought on to help create the dreamy mind-bending worlds, with road trip-inspired music composed by Beacon Street to underscore the psychedelic journey.
CreditsClient WEBTOON
Agency And Company Joshua Smith, creative director; Richelle Rothermich, producer; Ann Moon, Phillip Schorr, art directors.
Production HB Films Matt Hoffman, director; David G. Wilson, DP; John Beveridge, exec producer; Brad English, producer; Jordan Ferrer, production designer.
VFX/Postproduction Electric Theatre Collective Joshua Guillaume, VFX supervisor; Sabrina Harrison, producer; Andrew Siner, Ujala Saini, 2D assists; Corinne DeOrsay, Greg Gutkin, Josh Matthews, CG artists; Brian Raess, editor; Nick Sanders, colorist; Ale Amato, color assist.
Music/Sound Beacon Street Studios Andrew Feltenstein, John Nau, composers; Leslie DiLullo, exec producer; Rommel Molina, sound designer/mixer; Mike Leone, mix assistant; Kate Vadnais, sr. sound design/mix producer.
Top Spot of the Week: Nike, W+K Portland, Megaforce Take Us On A “Sunshine” Run
“Winning isn’t Comfortable” is the second chapter of Nike’s “Winning isn’t for Everyone,” extended through the lens of running. It is based on true insights and the realities that runner experience when they lace up their shoes.
It adds the perspective of how hard it can be to just get out the door and go for a run. The idea that if you don’t hate running a little, you don’t love running enough. It celebrates the need and opportunity to push outside a person’s comfort zone to discover what they can accomplish, emphasizing that true victory often requires pushing through uncomfortable moments.
Each film of the series builds on the tension that every runner faces--pushing through the morning dread, the elements outside, the pain of hitting a wall, or even walking down the stairs after a run or race--juxtaposed with the feeling of elation only runners know as they push themselves beyond what they thought possible.
The irreverence of the films--directed by Megaforce via production company Iconoclast for Wieden+Kennedy Portland--is in pairing visuals showing the mundanity of everyday struggles with music that brings to life a contradictory tension. This film, the first to be released, is titled “Sunshine” and shows the inclement weather and obstacles that runners encounter to the tune of “You Are My Sunshine.”
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