MAKE Welcomes Spring With a Trio of Slick The Hartford Spots

Minneapolis based animation studio MAKE, along with Campbell Mithun, have completed a series of three new fifteen-second spots for The Hartford Financial Services Group. The spots will air during the 2008 NCAA tournament. Just click on each image to reach the ad itself in the commercial archive.

MAKE’s team of motion graphic artists collaborated with the creative team at Campbell Mithun early in the process. “We wanted to create a sense of majesty surrounding the stag, making a brand identity recognized with longevity and prosperity,” said Danny Robashkin, Creative Director at MAKE. “We really wanted to focus on the scenery and seamless transitions as a means to convey those concepts”.

MAKE utilized its design experience to bring a new feel to the spots creatively. “They provided a refined look, both motion and picture. It was very fluid. They were good collaborators, good listeners and good executors,” said Bill Smallacombe, Producer. “MAKE had a graphic sensibility of what the spots should be. They understood what the client needed and wanted,” added Pete Winecke, Creative Director.

Working locally in Minneapolis with MAKE allowed Campbell Mithun a greater level of communication during the creative process. “We were able to come over and throw out examples and see how it worked. It was more collaborative than it would have had it been over e-mail,” said
Amanda Whitacre, Art Director. Smallacombe agreed, stating, “It was nice to work with a local company in Minneapolis, somebody we could sit down with face to face and work out the ideas.” This fast-paced interaction and increased communication contributed to the success of the final spots.

“Providing solutions through design is an extremely important aspect of our workflow,” said Robashkin. MAKE’s team meets together before each project to brainstorm a variety of ideas. “They were smart and creative about the options that they showed us,” explained Winecke. Throughout
the project, there was constant discussion on how to improve every frame. “When we needed tweaks done, MAKE was there to offer good solutions, they brought the project to life,” said Whitacre.