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Author
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Topic: Charmin goes 3D
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tstevens
IE # 234
Member # 801
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posted
Remember those cute 2D spots that Charmin use to have? Originally done by Acme Film works and directed by Joann Quinn, they were more or less the public image of the TP maker for the last ten years or so.
However, Charmin has now taken the characters into the 3D realm and the commercials feel more like the result of worn out creative than smart updating.
Now I'm not an anti 3D guy but my first reaction was one of disbelief at how they could take the coolness of a character originally done in an illustrated 2D style and turn it into a toon shaded 3D character. Lost in translation does not begin to describe this one.
For a look at the new Charmin ads click on the link below and go to videos.
http://www.charmin.com/en_us/pages/prod_home.shtml?product=1
For a look at the original ads, click on the link and go to the second thumbnail in from the left.
http://www.acmefilmworks.com/director/1/11/quinn.html
Again, I respect 3D as much as anyone but I hate it when I great illustrated character is updated in a style that doesn't do it justice.
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http://www.foogersnarts.blogspot.com
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Floyd Bishop
IE # 183
Member # 2322
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posted
I'm a 3D guy, and I agree with you completely. I saw the ads on TV and the first thing I said was "ick".
I'm sure this isn't the fault of the house that did the ads, as it's probably the direction they were directed to go in.
When you try to shoehorn CG into replacing 2D is when the medium is at it's worst.
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Floyd Bishop
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toonstruck
Member
Member # 1846
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posted
I'm more disturbed by two bears running down the beach with expressions of horror as they're not sure if they can make it to the outhouse before soiling their fur.
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KevinO
IE # 36
Member # 56
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posted
I'm more disturbed that one is pink and the other blue. That and they do look crappy in 3D.
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MattM
Member
Member # 3102
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posted
I love the ones done in 2d but I actually feel they did a good job on these ads. They really nailed the 2d look with 3d and that is hard to do. What I do miss though is the looseness the 2d commercials had, they were like watching an animators rough tests. Overall not bad though.
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www.mmaners.com
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Steve Schnier
Member
Member # 3378
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posted
I prefer the earlier, 2D versions. There was a charm to the loose, hand drawn animation. While the 3D commercials are well done, I think they've lost some of the charm - Which would be the point of "Charmin"
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mojodesign
IE # 237
Member # 3158
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posted
Am I the only one that thinks port-a-toilets are disgusting. Why would you put that in your commercial? To be current? That's silly. There's more charm in crapping in the woods...defintely. I like how they gave each other "props" at the end though. I give all my friends props and high fives when I just finished using a portable toilet. ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif) No thank you to THAT. You better jump in the ocean and wash your hands cuz I aint down wit dat.
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ApeLad
IE # 231
Member # 3186
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posted
I was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt till I watched. Those colors are painful. They've traded the charm and appeal of their hand drawn characters for something anyone with basic 3D software training can make.
I also think portable toilets are something most people don't want to see in a commercial for lots of reasons. Like the fact that they seldom have toilet paper in them.
Also: associating the Hallelujah chorus with bears eliminating waste should probably have been rethought.
Not to fault anyone involved in the production. There's an old They Might Be Giants song that says "ads up in the subway are the work of someone trying to please their boss."
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OFFBEAT
IE # 39
Member # 873
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posted
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"Get Rich, or Die Drawing!"
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Semaj
Member
Member # 3131
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posted
Remember the good old days when people learned not to fix what wasn't broken?
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Easy Zee
Member
Member # 3201
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posted
UGLY!!! The 3d animation is awful, there is no warmth, no charm, no soul to these characters. The 2d spots were comforting, appealing, and soft. These characters are stiff, horribly colored, and badly animated. One of the things I loved about the 2d spots were the fact that the bears were big and fat, but moved so lightly and gracefully. The realistic beach and water is a bad decision to go with. It looks like they filmed a real beach, or it may be they just made the 3d bg uber-realistic, bad choice either way. Just horrible. And I am an anti 3d guy, for whatever that's worth.
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Graphiteman
IE # 218
Member # 2092
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posted
The nice thing about the drawn ads is that they look soft, evocative of what they should be communicating about the TP.
Also I always thought the ads were the answer to the all-time question "Does a bear s**t in the woods?".
The beach setting is probably because the client thought it was witty to have a Chariots Of Fire hommage but it is incongruous.
That poor red bear. Not only is his ass red. He should stop using that super strong paper.
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Graphiteman
IE # 218
Member # 2092
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posted
I remember one ad they did with black thic 'n' thin outlines but they went back to the soft art pencil look, I think.
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OFFBEAT
IE # 39
Member # 873
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posted
Before everyone gets upset.. remember.. this is *ss wipe we're talking about. Literally!
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"Get Rich, or Die Drawing!"
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eboles
IE # 266
Member # 917
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posted
I'm almost impressed how they got that wrong on so many levels.
As has already been pointed out: the live-action beach setting is ugly and dreary. The bears' colours are harsh and garish. The portaloos are not something you'd want to associate your product with.
But had the originals not been of such high quality, no one would really care how bad this is.
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Easy Zee
Member
Member # 3201
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posted
Why did they feel they needed to change the original spots in the first place? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Charmin has created a lovable series of commercials and a strong brand name. There was no reason to change direction like this.
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tstevens
IE # 234
Member # 801
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posted
Sometimes changing the direction of the ads can be political often involving the ad agency and the internal marketing. If a new agency gets the account they will often try to separate themselves from the previous agencies creative unless the client pushes them that direction. To add to that, if a new Creative Director is put on the account they will often try to separate themselves from production companies that the previous directors hired.
My gut feeling on this one is that someone inside the agency may have felt like the style needed updating to make it feel more modern. Charmin the bear is a lot like any iconic character: sometimes they evolve into a version that may not be as good as the original. Look at Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, The Michelin Man or even Mr Clean. The recent trend has been to turn them into either pseudo 3D or full on 3D with varying results.
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http://www.foogersnarts.blogspot.com
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gergley
IE # 200
Member # 74
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posted
For what it is worth, it doesn't bother me that they went 3D/GCI with it. It perplexes me a bit. But, a lot of things probably do that. (ha)
Are the bears actually considered a brand or as spokecritters?
If they are on packaging, I can see them being brands. But, if it is just marketing materials and ads then maybe they aren't that sacred to the client or to whomever authorized the change.
I must admit that the hand drawn ones are nice. And, like Graphiteman pointed out, it does address the age old rhetorical question of does a bear crap in the woods. And, the hand drawn ones do so in a delicate way.
Compared to some of the animated ads for, say, pharmaceuticals, the older Charmin ads seem even more tactful. To me, at least.
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gergley
IE # 200
Member # 74
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posted
Oh yeah.
Offbeat:
But it is pronounced Azweepay!
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eBee
Member
Member # 3368
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posted
I remember when Bill Plympton came to my town for the screening of his film, Mutant Aliens...after the movie he stuck around talking to folk and selling DVD's, etc. I had the opportunity to chat with him and mentioned that one of the things I love about his technique, was that i never forgot that I was looking at drawings .
The wonderful thing about those 1st Charmin spots is that they are exactly that...drawings...not pixels pretending to be drawings because drawings don't look enough like pixels in some poor fool's opinion. I wish i could understand the minds of those that permit things like this to happen.
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oogieboogie
IE # 265
Member # 2706
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posted
quote:
But it is pronounced Azweepay!
Go Nicholas Cage!
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SquarejawHero
IE # 188
Member # 2601
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posted
I know one of the animators of the 2D ones. I'm gonna send this to him, see what he thinks, it's utterly disappointing... at least the softness of the 2D gave it a cutesy edge dealing with a pretty gross subject. AND they were beautifully made.
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Bowendesign.com
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