The average American throws out 81 pounds of textiles every year. To address this issue and the waste it represents, director Katy Wang of BLINKINK teamed up with the New York Times and sustainable fashion brand Eileen Fisher to deliver this colorful 2D film, showcasing the lifecycle of their clothing line and the importance of recycling to help combat waste.
Wang uses animation to transform objects and shapes while colors flow in and out of frame to seamlessly transport the viewer from one scene to the next. The human quality to the work helps underscore the importance of sustainability.
“I was really excited when T Brand (content studio unit of the New York Times) got in touch with me about this film because sustainability in the fashion industry is something I’ve become increasingly aware of over the last few years, and it was great to be able to make something that supports this cause. Eileen Fisher hadn’t really delved into animation before and they were keen for me to work in my own style, which I really appreciated especially because it was new territory for them and my style is maybe not what you’d expect from their typical branding. So I got to have a lot of fun with characters and colors, trying to make it as playful and engaging as possible whilst still delivering a clear message about waste in the fashion industry. “
Her fluid style of visual storytelling is perfectly placed to narrative Eileen Fisher’s sustainability journey emphasizing the brand’s closed loop system of making and reusing clothes.
CreditsClient Eileen Fisher Agency New York Times Adam Loeb, creative director; Deanna Urciuoli, executive producer. Production BLINKINK, London Katy Wang, director; Bart Yates, exec producer; Rosanna Morley, producer; Will Kay, production assistant; Gabriel de Bruin, script development; Jacob Merrick Wolf, storyboard; Sheetal Thankey, Hannah Lau-Walker, Bianca Beneduci, 2D animators; Kat Michaelides, Lois de Silva, 2D animation assist; Tom Fisher, compositor. (Toolbox: Adobe Animate, Photoshop). Voiceover Kemah Bob, recorded at Wave Studios, London Sound Cypher John Black, creative direction, sound design & mix; John Poon, music composition
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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