Flying High, Longlist - Animation

Bronson, Keep Moving

StyleWar

SMUGGLER

The idea for this video was born out of creative starvation during these corona times. We got this awesome track from Bronson at the beginning of lockdown and really wanted to do something special for it. At that point it was impossible to do anything close to a regular shoot, so we pitched a concept using entirely stock footage and CG. We've always had a strong fascination for stock footage and the thoughts and process that goes into creating it. Especially this kind of corporate business world that is shown in this video. It can be so cliché and mind-bendingly generic. The actors take turns playing the boss, they have positive meetings and they have arguments. They high-five, shake hands in glass buildings and proudly point at their PowerPoints. They listen really carefully, nod in approval or decide to put another idea on the table. We love how super-generic it is, in every detail. From cast, wardrobe and props to locations and especially the acting - it's all super shallow and false. So with this as a base, we wanted to show what can happen if there is a “blackout” to this world. Are they all fake? Is everything fake? Luckily no one got seriously injured making this video, with the exception of StyleWar now knowing far too much about the corporate-business-stock footage world then anyone should….

Since their inception, Swedish collective StyleWar have evolved from a boutique design, post, and animation studio into a major player in the top echelon of commercial directors. Co-founded by Oskar Holmedal and Martin Sjöström in 1998, StyleWar immediately began making waves in creative filmmaking. StyleWar got their break directing a video for fellow Swedes, The Hives. They followed with a fresh video for Moby’s In This World landing them in the 2003 Cannes Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase. SMUGGLER sat up and took note by signing them shortly thereafter. Upon signing, Oskar moved to Los Angeles and has been based there since then. Drawn to technically challenging spots, StyleWar strives to earn the right to maximum creative freedom in their collaborations with brands while ever seeking to innovate their signature style, including the razor-sharp use of hyper real detail and explosive color. The work is almost unsettling in its ability to integrate subtly generated imagery with naturalistic live action. This brand of filmmaking equipped the collective to direct some of the most innovative campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola, Lexus, eBay, HP, and Nike. In 2012 StyleWar tackled visually stunning campaigns for Nissan, Visa, Bacardi, and Toyota. Their explosive Car Chase spot for Shaw EXO was widely celebrated, winning multiple ADCC awards, and shortlisted for a CLIO and New York Festival Awards. They continued their tour de force of inspired work into 2013, shooting spots for Mitsubishi, Motel 6, and again with Nissan. StyleWar began 2014 by directing a new music video for exciting breakout artist Elliphant’s single Revolusion. They continue to stay busy working with Indeed.com, Toyota and Google to name a few. In 2017, Stylewar directed a vast, globe-spanning music video for Bonobo, titled “Bambro Koyo Ganda.” Later in the year, they directed an engrossing spot for the release of Apple’s iPhone X. Since then, they have directed work for a myriad of brands, including Samsung, Ford, and Reebok, to name a few.