‘Angry Birds: Journey to En-flight-enment’ meets two infamous rivals, Christine and Melissa, who have been invited to attend Red’s Anger Management course in an attempt to overcome their differences.
Led by their guru (our feathered friend in a robe and fake beard), they try various exercises to learn to control their anger – but after a number of failed attempts, they finally discover the solution: Angry Birds Journey, the ultimate escape into relaxation.
We’ve worked with Rovio and their feathered friends for a number of years, so when we were given the chance to pitch for a TVC, we jumped at the opportunity.
Designed to promote their new game, Angry Birds: Journey, the ad was to be shown across the entire US, targeting working women aged 35-55 (affectionately termed ‘Susans’) as research had identified them as the demographic most likely to make in-app purchases. The campaign was to be figure-headed by two celebrity guests: Christine Quinn of Selling Sunset, and Melissa Gorga of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
This was an opportunity to bring a new element to the Angry Birds experience; departing from the usual themes of high-octane destruction, Angry Birds: Journey offers a relaxing, puzzle-oriented challenge that we wanted to present as an escape from the stresses and frustrations of the everyday world.
So, how could we craft a narrative that incorporated all these elements while still feeling like the fun-loving, irreverent chaos of the Angry Birds we know and love?
During the creative ideation process, we drew inspiration from traditional tropes of training montages and anger management courses to give Red’s tasks a comedic, playful twist. We also incorporated elements of the game into the film itself, such as the pig-shaped mannequins our characters are encouraged to attack, and stylised elements of set design taken directly from different levels within the game.
Rovio must have appreciated our hard work, because the day of the script presentation went down in history as the first round of applause we’ve ever received in a client call.
Shooting took place in Los Angeles over the course of five days. We flew out a select RD team to minimise our carbon footprint, recruiting the rest of the 50-person crew through local talent.
Our decision to involve our in-house VFX supervisors from the very beginning of the pitching process allowed us to hit the ground running with post-production, as every shot had already been designed and captured with the specifics of the animation in mind.
Of course, this alone was no mean feat. Our talented team spent six weeks grooming the individual feathers on the model to achieve that exceptional level of execution, and every single detail was painstakingly chosen, from the length of Red’s beard to the colour of his robe.
Ultimately, extensive collaboration between our in-house creative, production, and VFX teams meant the entire process flowed smoothly from start to finish, allowing us to create a fantastically funny film we are incredibly proud of.
‘Angry Birds: Journey to En-flight-enment’ went live Friday 10th June.
