Mercedes-Benz

Behind the Scenes of “Fable”.

By now most people have seen or read about the ads that were featured on Super Bowl Sunday. While there wasn’t anything all that mind blowing, there were some spots that really entertained, one of them being the Mercedes-Benz Tortoise and Hare “Fable” commercial for the AMG GTS.

Both the commercial and the making of are below. It’s the making of/behind the scenes video that interests me. When I first saw the spot, I thought the entire piece was CG. I had no idea that there was any live footage blended in. Since all the animals are CG I simply figured the car and the environment were digitally created as well. I was wrong. When you watch the behind the scenes video, you see just how much actual footage was blended in with the digital components, and its really pretty impressive. Director Robert Stromberg and his crew did a masterful job of creating a visually stunning spot for Mercedes-Benz.

The Silver Arrows Project

“The Silver Arrows Project“, is a series of limited edition prints and other materials that recreate the legendary Grand Prix racing cars of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union from the 1930’s.

In the making of video below you can see how this team of talented photographers, designers and illustrators blend original photography with 3D graphics, and Photoshop compositing techniques to get the final results. Each image is filled with impressive detail, and illustrative composition to help complete the story of these racing legends.

The Silver Arrows Project recreates the story of the Silver Arrows using moments from 12 different Grand Prix races. Each is available in several sizes, ranging from postcard-sized all the way to over nine feet wide.

You Owe Mercedes-Benz A Lot For That Beer You Are Drinking.

Update: Thanks Steve Savalle for commenting and setting the record straight on the story developers Fraser Davidson, and Tiny Toy Car. It’s great work from all of you.

Steve Savalle has uploaded a fun little spot for Tiny Toy Car outlining the history of the van, and how it all started as a rivallery between Daimler and Benz. Savalle came up with the basic story telling idea that was then fleshed out by Fraser Davidson, Steve Savalle, Mike Basilico, and Chris Naglik at Cub Studio, and Pluto. The clip takes a light hearted, fun approach to the history of the subject starting in the late 1800’s and rolling forward to today. I love how they tie it all to beer hauling horses, and a better solution to getting that beer across town. The spot takes a stylistic approach to the animation with a solid nod to a flatter design aesthetic yet still maintaining atmospheric depth and fresh look that really works. Since October is just a day away, and October means October Fest, next time you lift a beer give a toast to Daimler Benz.

Design: Fraser Davidson, Steve Savalle, Mike Basilico, and Chris Naglik
Animation: Steve Savalle, Mike Basilico, Fraser Davidson
Audio: Pluto

Gary Judah Returns to Goodwood to Celebrate Mercedes-Benz.

Last year Gary Judah created a pretty spectacular sculpture of flying Porsche’s for the Goodwood Festival of Speed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 911. This year he is back paying tribute to Mercedes and the 80th anniversary of the birth of the “Silver Arrows”. The new sculpture features the 1934 Mercedes-Benz W25 which won it’s first outing at the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife, with Manfred von Brauchitsch in the pilots seat. The silver arrow is paired with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One F1 W04 which raced in 15 Grands Prix in 2013 by Lewis Hamilton. The sculpture arcs over the building structure at Goodwood suspending the race cars on contrails of whit metal.

Similar to last years work for the festival, yet different and unique in it’s own way, the sculpture is visually outstanding as it pays homage to the speed of racing and forms the arc over the finish line on the track. Just like the 911 work from last year, I hope this becomes a permanent fixture at Goodwood, or finds itself on display at the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart.