Category: News

We all know the big players in the Christmas ad game these days. The likes of John Lewis and Sainsbury’s part with a huge chunk of their budget each year to pull on public heartstrings (and hopefully their purse strings!)

That being said, you don’t need to have an eye-watering budget to make a successful Christmas ad. As the day gets ever closer, read on as we share eight tips for creating stand-out Christmas ads without a multimillion-pound budget.

1. Refresh and update content

You don’t necessarily need to start from scratch when planning your Christmas content. Think about the brand assets you already have available and work out if you can edit rather than reshoot.

Can you change the music, voice-over, or sound overall? Can you edit the special offer? How about the end frame or titles? With post-production, there are loads of ways you can strategically adapt what you already have to save yourself time and money.

2. Stay authentic

With so much competition for consumers’ attention (and money), it can be easy to try and shout the loudest, but you risk getting lost in the noise.

Before you plan any activation, sit back and work out the story your brand really wants to tell. Is it authentic to your offering?

Last year, we worked with Bloom & Wild to create a non-traditional Christmas ad. We had fun building a CGI fairy, with the campaign emphasising the importance of small gestures over giant acts.

With interest in NFTs only growing, read on to find out how we can help you capitalize on the trend and take your content to the next level.

However much you know about NFTs, one thing that’s for certain is they no longer can or should be viewed as a niche term for the tech community—they’re heading for the mainstream (if they’re not there already).

Last year the NFT market nearly surpassed the global traditional art market, with an NFT selling for an eye-watering $69m. Artist Damien Hirst has recently launched his first NFT collection and fashion houses around the world are beginning to incorporate NFTs into their looks, often blending the physical world with the digital.

Here at POD LDN, we’re seeing NFT requests almost daily, so we thought we’d fill you in on how the industry is shifting, some projects we’ve been working on, and (all importantly!) how we can help you.

You can’t ignore NFTs

NFTs are already shifting the needle in the post-production process. We’ve seen a growing demand to create unique assets from content that people can keep as art, ultimately meaning a new step has been added to the post-production process.

It unlocks many opportunities. For example, brands can create campaigns with added elements for fans to collect, artists can unlock new revenue streams, film production companies can create and distribute NFTs from film sets to fund filmmaking. As well as the financial implications, NFTs serve as another valuable avenue for brands to build deeper engagement with their communities.

Even if you’re new to NFTs, it’s worth looking back at past campaigns and considering whether collateral could be repositioned and distributed as NFTs. Or if you’re in the process of launching a film, artwork, or exhibition, could you offer unique pieces of content that would genuinely excite and interest your audience? (We can help you with that).

With greater investment from companies including Meta, the interest in NFTs is only going to accelerate. As just one example, the film industry is increasingly adopting gaming tech, with software such as Unreal Engine rendering in real-time which speeds up the workflow. As tools become more accessible, demand for NFTs will no doubt continue to grow.

How we help brands create NFTs

From complex to simple, we’ve helped many of our clients in varying industries tread new ground and create NFTs. Some of our work is still in the works (watch this space!), but as one example:

Emergent Games

We create NFTs for the leading metaverse and blockchain games studio, Emergent Games. Its latest post-apocalyptic sci-fi game with blockchain integration, Resurgence, calls on users to re-establish their roles on earth after a cataclysmic ecological disaster.

We made 1,000 limited edition Cryotag NFTs that launch throughout the alternative reality game and can be minted for free. The Cryotags unlock perks such as access to merchandise, events and private groups, as well as multiple in-game functionalities that are revealed throughout the game.

The team aims to breathe new life into blockchain games by creating fun, immersive experiences as well as an economic pull for its players.

To support the new MMO (massively multiplayer online game), we also created six high-end, 3D animations to drum up excitement for its launch.

Whether you’re an animation aficionado, are about to lead your first animation project, or are curious about why you should even consider it, read our 101 to help answer your questions!

WHAT IS IT?

Animation can vary in complexity, from adding movement to simple text all the way to more complex 3D objects. The Cambridge Dictionary defines the skill as: “Moving images created from drawings, models, etc. that are photographed or created by a computer.” Basically, the method manipulates figures or objects so they appear as moving images.

There are five traditional types:

● Cel (celluloid) animation: A traditional method of creating 2D animation by hand using sheets of transparent plastic called ‘cels’. It’s time-consuming (and costly) as it means the animator has to draw every single frame by hand.
● 2D animation: Relies on vector-based animations, which is useful for artists looking to create 3D characters as they can create digital skeletons known as rigs. It means single body parts can be moved at a time rather than the animator having to redraw the entire character for every touch of movement.
● 3D animation: Includes building digital objects and making them appear as if they’re moving through three-dimensional space. These days, it’s the most popular animation type within the film industry.
● Motion graphics: Involves moving graphic elements, shapes, and text. Unlike the previous methods, it doesn’t so heavily rely on characters or storylines to bring it to life. It could be used for content including explainers or webinars.
● Stop motion: Similar to traditional animation, this combines still images that are slightly different to show gradual movement. It involves taking a photo of a scene before slightly moving it and taking another photo.

There are many other animation types too, including simulation which relies on algorithms.

OUR EXPERTISE

Whatever your animation requirements, we can work with you to produce a wide range of
outputs, including:

● Social and digital content
● Banners
● Logos
● Billboards
● Films
● NFTs

Don’t just take our word for it… Check out our reel of some of our recent work.