I chose this example of an advert as it is slightly different to the usual ones that can be seen. Motion graphics are largely used in advertising, and very rarely do they tell the viewer an actual story. This is because motion graphics are designed to be short, concise and to the point. This is mainly due to the requirements of the animation needing to fit into a specified time slot and they are also designed to keep the viewer interested and concentrating on the product the company is trying to sell. Therefore, producing a story within an animation would be quite difficult to achieve to a high quality and effective standard. However, this is where the newest John Lewis Christmas advert is an example of when it can be done, and done very well.
John Lewis is a retail company, so their main aims are to advertise themselves as well as specific products, in this advert though they concentrate on the story rather than listing items. It isn't very obvious what this advert is about until the very end where the name of John Lewis appears, so they've had to make this particularly long advert as engaging as possible in order to ensure people will see the name at the end. They've done this through the story-telling about a bear and a hare who are friends. The bear hasn't seen Christmas as it hibernates through winter, but this year the hare can be seen giving him an alarm clock so that he can wake up and join them. It is a very sweet and heart-warming story, definitely what Christmas should be about, therefore it connects to a wide audience. Children and young teenagers will appreciate the animals and the overall visual appeal, while adults will understand the meaning and story. The story isn't too long, I didn't feel like I was watching a 2+ minute video, therefore it made an effective advert.
There aren't any sounds throughout the animation, only a song can be heard. They haven't used any voice overs or foley sound effects for the animals either, which means the movements and emotions shown on the animal's faces had to be done well in order to tell the story. The song doesn't really do much for the animation except create a calming feel and makes the ending seem a bit happier and magical. Apart from that it's not made to be in sync or reflect anything else within the animation. I would say it is a song that goes alongside and compliments the visual effects rather than being the main element which 'makes' the animation.
The style and content of this animation is very different to most you would usually see in an advert. It resembles more what you would see in films, which is obviously the point. It is made up with a variety of techniques, it used real live sets combined with stop motion techniques. The animals were each drawn frame by frame and moved along the set where photographs were taken. A lot of detail and time went into this animation, and it shows. The animators have done well with creating the right movements for each of the animals, they've made the bear and hare have realistic walks, being careful not to make it seem too cartoon like. The whole style of the piece also is made to feel like a children's book, as the illustrations of the animals are what you would typically see. As said before, this makes it appeal to all ages as it is not made to be silly or childish. As said in the paragraph above, the music doesn't hold this piece together, and there are no sounds or voices that help to portray the story. This is where the animation was the most important, the way the set changes, the actions of the animals and most importantly the emotions on the animal's faces had to all be right in order to portray the correct story. At the end is the only time when text appears and it is very John Lewis in the sense of the simple black type. They could have easily gone over the top and made it sparkle to go with the magical theme, but I like they kept it plain and subtle. It didn't take away from the story and it kept the mood of happy ending going. If a company can make such a lovely advert, who wouldn't want to shop there?
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