Nissan 4x4 TV advert

This is a still from a television advert for Nissan 4x4s. The car travels through different types of terrain and morphs into various animals when it comes to particularly difficult sections of the road. The advert is very impressive in terms of the combination of film and 3D animation- the animals look metallic so the viewer still has the impression that it is the car.

It is also a good concept, although the whole feel of the advert is very masculine- the animals (snake, crocodile, spider) are not friendly, household pets and the colours are all silvers, greys and browns against the blue sky. This makes the advert feel quite agressive and intimidating, but these are probably good qualities for a tough 4x4 car to have, so overall I think it works.

Russ Mills Illustrations

Russ Mills graduated from Leeds Met in 1995 and produces both illutrations and moving image works. I found his profile on www.illustrationweb.com and selected these examples from his profile, my favourite being the artist's version of the iconic Queen photo.

To create his distinctive style, Mills uses mixed media and combines the results with elements rendered on the computer. I like the modern but highly textured result. A lot of illustrators produce work that is modern in a slick way, but I like Mills' use of texture in his backgrounds with his realistic characters in black over the top. The limited colours used in each piece also gives draws attention to the use of unusual textures and shapes.

Virgin Coq

(click on the rectangle for a link to the youtube video)

A viral advert for Virgin trains in which a cockerel walks through a tiny model village, leaving destruction in it's wake. People can be heard screaming and buildings are set on fire. A board is held up at the end advertising cheap rail fares and the advert ends with the instantly recognisable red screen and white type reading 'welcome to a littler Britain'.

I like the humourous concept and the low budget film feel (it seems to me like a comedy Godzilla) and think this, with the tagline referencing the TV show 'little Britain', is fitting for a young adult target market.