Kraft: Help Yourself Campaign
Rezonate collaborates with Johannes Leonardo to develop captivating this award winning animation for Kraft Mac & Cheese's "Help Yourself" campaign, blending reality and imagination to create the comforting world of "Noodledom."
Creative Direction
Animation
Motion Design
Direction
Character Design
Illustration
Johannes Leonardo Kraft
The Kraft campaign aims to showcase the power of comfort food in providing mental, physical, and spiritual well-being by tapping into the essence of "noodly-ness." The challenge lies in demonstrating that indulging in a bowl of Kraft Mac & Cheese (KMC) not only satisfies cravings but also offers a form of self-care and nourishment for the soul. By promoting comfort as the ultimate aspirational state and embracing the noodly qualities of KMC, the campaign seeks to reveal the benefits of enjoying our favorite comfort foods in a world that could use a little more warmth and coziness.
As we embarked on the creative journey for the Kraft Mac & Cheese campaign, we sought to amplify the essence of "noodly-ness" by envisioning a unique world called "Noodledom." This enchanting realm existed between everyday reality and the imaginative world of our illustrated characters. Throughout the process, we constantly asked ourselves, "How can we connect the feeling of noodles to these endearing characters?"
In Noodledom, we joined forces with these "noodly" characters to discover moments of comfort and pure joy, where the characters helped us "help ourselves." Our creative process involved two main aspects: designing the characters and animating them. We blended real-life elements, like a Mac & Cheese bowl, with the fantastical aspects of our characters and their environment, such as exaggerated movements, delightful proportions, and bursts of color.
CHARACTER DESIGNS
Designing the characters, we aimed for a bright, cheeky, and inviting appearance that would resonate with our audience. We anchored our creative process in a core image – the noodle – which served as the foundation for every aspect of our work, including illustration and character design. Throughout several iterations and versions, we refined the characters to capture the essence of "noodly-ness" while maintaining a strong visual connection to Kraft Mac & Cheese. This iterative process allowed us to perfect the characters' design, ensuring they were engaging and relatable while embodying the comforting qualities we sought to convey. Additionally, we recognized the importance of proper representation in our characters, incorporating diverse sizes, shapes, and abilities to create an inclusive and welcoming world that reflects the wide range of individuals who enjoy Kraft Mac & Cheese.
ANIMATION
Animating the characters, we focused on making the movement a profound experience, reflecting imaginative dance-inspired movements and embodying active poses that express confidence, delight, and comfort. This stage of the process amplified the campaign's tone and brought the characters to life. During the animation process, we faced the challenge of choosing between frame-by-frame animation and keyframe animation.
Frame-by-frame animation offers a high level of control and detail, allowing for more fluid and organic movements. However, it can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, as each frame must be drawn individually. On the other hand, keyframe animation involves creating key poses and allowing the software to interpolate the in-between frames, resulting in a more efficient workflow. The trade-off is that keyframe animation can sometimes lack the nuance and expressiveness of frame-by-frame animation.
We carefully weighed the benefits and challenges of each animation technique, ultimately selecting the method that best aligned with our creative vision and the campaign's goals. By striking the right balance between the two animation styles, we were able to bring our characters to life in a way that captured the essence of "noodly-ness" and the enchanting world of Noodledom.
We approached the visuals as a cohesive whole, enabling our audience to believe in the harmonious coexistence of these two realities. To achieve this, we infused the set and props with subtle hints of the character designs and animation, including background colors, simple details, and discreet visual invitations into the world of Noodledom.
Noodledom was more than just a temporary escape through feeds and screens; it was a feeling of joy, comfort, and the understanding that with Kraft Mac & Cheese, we could create these moments at will. Our ultimate goal was to define and amplify the "noodly" feeling, not just in the visual design of the characters but also in the emotional resonance of the world we created. The noodly essence evoked images of movement, flexibility, freedom, and vibrancy, allowing us to craft an ownable feeling for Kraft Mac & Cheese that transcended the campaign.
In Noodledom, we and our noodly characters come together to discover moments of comfort and unadulterated joy. This world serves as a reminder of the simple pleasures in life, like a delicious bowl of Kraft Mac & Cheese, that can bring us the comfort, joy, and fun we may have forgotten we needed. It also illustrates the importance of practicing kindness and nourishment for ourselves and those around us, helping us become the "defiantly joyful" people we aspire to be.
Cast of Queens
Bianca Del Rio
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Laganja Estranja
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Sasha Velour
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Jinkx Monsoon
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Trixie Mattel
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Katya
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Marina Summers
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Xilhouete
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This metaphor underscores the tenacity and bravery displayed by both game characters and the LGBTQIA+ community. It highlights the significance of resisting adversity and persisting, regardless of the hurdles faced. By establishing connections between these two realms, the metaphor serves as a potent reminder of the strength and resolve needed to attain progress and transformation in the enduring fight for LGBTQIA+ rights, equality, and acceptance.
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Our character animations were inspired by the way video games depict character interactions during the selection process. By animating our drag queen characters with over-the-top reactions, we created a perfect blend of Street Fighter and drag culture. Using quick and snappy emotions, the animation maintains its comedic effect, staying true to the essence of the Reading Challenge.
Additionally, understanding each drag queen's shape language helped our team maintain consistency with the design inspiration and model reference. This attention to detail allowed us to capture the unique personalities and styles of each character, further enhancing the immersive experience of the animation and its connection to the world of drag.
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