Director Sebastián Caporelli (represented in the US by Easy Mondays) tests the boundaries of VFX (courtesy of Caporelli’s post house, Wolf VFX) with a new 3-spot campaign for Palacio de Hierro (translation: The Iron Palace), an upscale chain of department stores in Mexico. Created via Teran TBWA, the campaign comprises “Christmas,” “Mitikah,”and “Futuro.” 

“Christmas” is a breathtakingly magical spin through the Palacio that spans a nightlong journey inside a Christmas ornament and an ascent to a two-story carousel, as lighted instruments accompany what manages to be a very warm and tender experience in gift-giving.

Introducing the new Palacio de Hierro store in southern Mexico City, “Mitikah” can best be described as a floral filmmaking fantasy combining history, timeless architecture, and the supernatural element of wolf symbolism. Of all land animals, the wolf is considered the most accomplished hunter. The perfect spirit animal for a seasoned shopper.

Finally, “Futuro” takes shopping to another level, specifically, outer space.

“When I got the script, I was immediately taken with the project, but it was very ambitious,” Caporelli recalls. “It all happened in space, inside a spaceship that also had to be a reimagining of a Palacio de Hierro store. We needed to take a ‘sci-fi elegant’ approach worthy of this brand. I didn't want to leave everything to the VFX and the green screen: I love the power of VFX, but always strive to use it in a way that will enhance what already looks great on camera.” 

For this reason, the director secured a set of locations that could bring the desired vibe to the shots in camera, before working with WolfVFX to make them look even better. “I remembered the ‘CANTORAL‘ in Mexico city, this amazing futuristic building that has the modern style we needed for the spot and it was part of the pitch not to leave everything to the VFX and green screen,” says Caporelli. “I wanted to have something real, something we could light along with (DoP) Josep (Pardo) and something that we could see in camera in order to keep it elegant and real.” The agency immediately got on board, as they also wanted to execute the photo shoot and having a real location was key in this regard.

Caporelli describes “a massive effort” to get the location camera-ready for the spot as well as the photo shoot. Along with Pardo, Amilcar Espadas (Production Designer), and the EP team from TheMaestros, “We split between Location and Soundstage to create some sections of the  ‘Spaceship’ in order to maintain style continuity and not lose the feeling that a location like CANTORAL brought to the spot,” the director explains.

He credits production designer Amilcar Espadas with “making it all happen in front of the camera. I wanted to keep as much of the original location as possible. There was also a practical effect of the fabrics flying around the model and then we used VFX to enhance that scene, making each shot feel bigger and more futuristic, and to create outer space elements while retaining the Palacio de Hierro vibe.”