Project Introduction
Intelligent Marketing approached Digital Marmalade to plan and produce the Ladybird in-store TV channel and were impressed with the formats that we'd previously applied to the Blockbuster and Filmnight channels. We proposed a channel depicting kids looking great and having fun in the Ladybird clothing, tapping into themes and scenarios linked to kids' imaginations. We set out to enhance and raise the profile of the Ladybird brand and convey the style, attitude and quality of the clothing. It was important that the content making up the channel would need to be concise enough to impress and influence both parent and child, taking into consideration the short attention span of children and their reluctance to linger in shops.
We began by familiarizing ourselves with the brand and products and looked at the current seasons' catalogue. The models were photographed mainly in locations such as parks, playgrounds, the beach and against urban/street scenes. Lots of ideas were bounced around at this stage and we settled on 'Ladybird Worlds' which followed on from themes and locations initially set out by the catalogue. The channel would comprise of a 4 minute in-store promotional film that would change from season to season and accommodate key promotions such as back to school clothing lines.
Members of the production team then went on to meet with renowned TV commercial director Tony Cuthbert to discuss the requirements and implications of filming live action, particularly with children. Tony has a wide range of experience and helped us elaborate on established ideas and brought to our attention the practical and logistical issues associated with a shoot made up entirely of kids. A comprehensive pricing list for crew, cast, studio and prop hire, lighting, catering, insurance etc. was also drawn up and incorporated into the proposal to aid with overall costings.
Filming would take place on a studio set against a minimalist white or blue screen background, relevant props would be introduced as needed with a view to adding titles, graphics and animation later, in post production. The preparations and mischief taking place behind the scenes would also be shot. This candid 'green room' footage would be intercut with the studio action during editing. We also put forward the cost effective idea of shooting fashion photography during the filming for use with both the channel and the seasonal catalogue.
Project Build
The screenshots and video above show the concept graphics of the proposed 'Welcome to Ladybird World' In-store TV channel. Our intention was to come up with a prototype channel identity and demonstrate the treatment that we would apply to the film. At this early stage, and with very little collateral to work with, high resolution digital stills from the latest summer catalogue where used to stand in for video footage. These photographs were set in street, park and beach locations and the 8-12 year range in particular seemed like a good choice for lively imagery with lots of potential for design and animation. We also selected an appropriately upbeat and bouncy soundtrack, using it to establish the pace of video and set markers to synchronise movement and animation.
The 25 second spot kicks off with a quick sting and a simple but eye catching logo animation. It then moves smoothly through the Hip Hop/graffiti themed Street world, into the Beach environment before arriving at the girls Rainbow themed range. The children modeling the clothes had been painstakingly cut out from their backgrounds so they could be combined with vibrant backdrops that we had designed for the 'worlds'. Animated titles were also overlaid on each of these sections and supported with corresponding clothing and price information.
Throughout the piece we drew attention to the patterns and graphic prints on the garments, incorporating them as scenery, backgrounds, and section/world transitions. These elements were recreated as vector illustrations enabling us to scale, mask, zoom and pan in After Effects without any loss of clarity at close range.
The finished project video is a great example of how Digital Marmalade applied motion graphics to bring the brand alive. In positioning Ladybird as a quality, youthful, and vibrant
childrenswear range we hope to increase the brands market share.
