Live-action, CG and a humorous approach shape Discovery and Crest’s co-branded campaign for Shark Week.
The branded integration was developed and written by Discovery writer/producer Daniel Tripod and executed by the network’s long-term partner, 2C Creative.
The partnership extends from last year when the network, creative studio and famed toothpaste brand humorously chronicled one shark’s trip to the dentist. The campaign earned six Promax Awards and a Golden Trailer Award.
“The chance to come back again and come up with something fresh and original made this such an exciting challenge,” Tripod said in a statement. “Shooting in a complete green screen environment presented its complications, but working with a team we could 100 percent trust and easily collaborate with gave us the confidence to dream big.”
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This year’s campaign places a CG shark in an aquarium with an “overzealous tour guide.” As patrons approach the tank, a debate ensues about whose dazzling smile they’re really checking out.
To give the illusion that the patrons were looking at the actress instead of the shark, 2C used an over-the-shoulder perspective, special lighting and an “effervescent performance of the actress to sell the story.”
Design director Luis Martinez also hand-rigged the shark’s mouth, gills and fins to bring the animal to life, better control its movements and make the spot more believable.
“It was a real honor to get the chance to try to repeat—and hopefully build on—last year’s success for these two brands,” Martinez said. “Going into this, we knew the expectations were already high, and our creative had to achieve a certain level, so this was a true challenge that we were happy to take on.”
CREDITS
Client: Discovery
Writer/Producer: Daniel Tripod
Production Manager, Discovery/Science: Nettie Ferrara
Vice President, Branded Entertainment: Michael Eisenbaum
SVP Marketing: Josh Kovolenko
Senior Manager, Discovery Ad Sales Marketing: Maddie Mulvihill
Specialist, Discovery Ad Sales Marketing: Adelaide Ancona
Vice President, Discovery Ad Sales Marketing: Mark Lewis
Crest Agency
Supervisor, Content Collective: Faith Lyde
Creative agency: 2C
President/Owner: Chris Sloan
Design Director/ VFX Supervisor: Luis Martinez
Creative Director: Ben Frank
Lead Editor: Victor Otero
Executive Producer/Design: Bob Cobb
3D Artist, Compositor & Color Correction: Dmitri Zavyazkin
3D Artist & Compositor: Andy Fernandez
Technical Operations Manager: Christian Santangelo
Assistant Editor: Williams Naranjo
Sound Design / Mix: Cesar Haliwa
Collaborators
Live-Action Director/Creative Director: Brian Eloe
Director of Photography: Chuck Ozeas
Line Producer: Chris Stoerchle
Art Director: Greg Jackson
Tags: 2c 2c creative crest discovery shark week