The Mill was thrilled to team up with 118 118, the UK directory service, for this fun and energetic spot that follows suit with their famous comedic commercials featuring the iconic 118 athletes. For this brand re-launch, the goal was to show the viewer just how effective the service is at connecting the whole country together. Partnering with Brooklyn Brothers, The Mill brought to life their mustached brand mascots as they multiply, doing what they do best - running around the countryside in vests and tight shorts introducing people who need help to the people who can help them.
"The most challenging shots were to get our 118 guys lifting taxi cabs and a Great North Western train," said Gavin Wellsman, Head of 2D at The Mill. "The taxi lift was achieved with clever movable rigging to give the lift a natural look and the trains were built in CG from scratch. We worked closely with Director Kevin Thomas to build a rig that would make these shots believable. We gave the art department the exact dimensions of the bottom of our full-size CG train so that the contact points and shadows would match perfectly and you really felt they were working as a team to lift a heavy object above their heads."
Agency: The Brooklyn Brothers
Producer: The Brooklyn Brothers
Creative Director: The Brooklyn Brothers
Creative: The Brooklyn Brothers
Account Director: The Brooklyn Brothers
Production Company: Thomas and Thomas Films
Director: Kevin Thomas
Executive Producer: Philippa Thomas
Producer: Trent Simpson
Director of Photography: Richard Henkels
Editing Company: The Quarry / Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Scot Crane
Edit Assist: Mike Horan
VFX & Design: The Mill
Executive Producer: Jo Arghiris
VFX Producer: Charlotte Arnold
Shoot Supervisor: Hitesh Patel
2D Lead Artist: Gavin Wellsman
3D Lead Artist: Chris Bernier
2D Artist: Melissa Graff