MINNEAPOLIS –CRASH+SUES helps travelers discover how to “Take Home a Free Night� at any member of the Choice Hotels chain in a playful animated spot from hfa (Hitchcock, Fleming & Associates) in Akron, Ohio.

CRASH+SUES Used a hybrid of 2D and 3D elements to create this campaign for Choice Hotel

As the vehicle moves across the screen, it’s revealed to be towing a smiling crescent moon looped in a lasso. The moon brings its own cluster of twinkling stars along as it follows the SUV on its journey. The scene dissolves to animated typography, topped by the crescent moon elements, as the hotel logos are displayed.

The agency called upon CRASH+SUES animation team to provide them with various distinct treatments and styles for market testing before a direction was chosen. Sean Hall and Matt Sattler created styles ranging from cartoony 2D to photorealistic 3D. Ultimately, the agency opted for the middle ground where the final product was a fusion of both efforts that seamlessly integrated a 2D moon with compellingly realistic but stylized 3D elements.

Sattler illustrated the endearing crescent moon, scanned it into Adobe Photoshop where he gave it dimension and color and shading, and then composited it with After Effects. The client negotiated a full buyout of the design for their cross platform campaign; 4K renders were generated to incorporate into Choice Hotels print, outdoor, interactive, and integrated content. Sattler also modeled and textured the SUV and its passengers, as well as the Choice Hotel in the background. Sean Hall animated the vehicle, hotel and landscape in Autodesk’s Maya and animated the type elements in After Effects.

Hall created four versions of the :15 broadcast spot for the various other Choice Hotel brands, and online editor Mark Anderson finished them. High-resolution elements were also provided to hfa for an intellectual property usage arrangement for print and web banner ads.

“This collaboration with the hfa creatives was an outstanding pleasure for CRASH+SUES. They were immediate, decisive, and truly appreciative of our talent,� avows executive producer Donna Drewick. “It’s refreshing to work with a client that is respectful of the process and conveys their value of the work in an IP buyout such as this.�

“CRASH+SUES and their talented team were able to meet and exceed our expectations at every stage of this project,� said Milissa Shrake, hfa Associate Creative Director. “Their dedication was key to the success of this campaign.�

“We’re the type of outfit that becomes personally invested in our clients’ projects,� further explains Drewick. “Our commitment to deliver their vision is evident in our round-the-clock accessibility and even more so in the additional wow factor our artists bring to the final product.�

CRASH+SUES is an award-winning post production company specializing in the seamless integration of FX, animation, motion design, color correction, creative editing, finishing and multimedia services. For additional information, contact executive producer Donna Drewick at 612.338.7947 or visit crashandsues.com.
CREDITS:
Client/Product: Choice Hotels
Category: Broadcast spots plus web/print design + animation
Title: “Take Home a Free Night;� 4 x:15s

Ad Agency:Hitchcock Fleming & Associates (hfa)/Akron, OH
Associate Creative Director/Art Director: Milissa Shrake, Copywriter: Greg Pfiffner
Broadcast Producer/Traffic Manager: Ellen Murray, Sr. Account Executive: Jennifer Jonke

Animation + Post: CRASH+SUES/Minneapolis
Executive Producer: Donna Drewick, Lead Animator and FX Supervisor: Sean Hall
Animators: Sean Hall + Matt Sattler, Online Editor: Mark Anderson, Online Assist: Matthew Kroese

Audio Post: Echo Boys/Minneapolis – Producer:Kathy Yanko, Engineer:Ross Nelson