A number of area marketing, advertising, and media production firms have banded together to create a customizable way for people to share their affection for one another this Valentine's Day. And it just so happens that it involves being serenaded by a famous teddy bear.
Though it may sound odd, the charming and certainly amusing videos created by advertising agency Cambell Ewald and multi-media production studios RingSide Creative and Cutters Studios allow users to send personalized videos of the fabric softener mascot Snuggle Bear singing one of two songs, either
Lovin' You or
(I've Had) The Time of My Life.
Users log into a mobile-friendly site, upload photos of the intended recipient, and let Snuggle Bear do the wooing. A video is sent featuring Snuggle Bear amidst a dreamy backdrop, acting out famous music video scenes as it sings either song. Names and photos uploaded cycle through the videos, creating that personalized touch.
Eschewing the computer-animated trends of today, the production team took to a live-action approach in making the videos. This was a nod to Snuggle Bear's origins. The bear was created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, famous for The Muppets and Sesame Street puppets, among many others.
"Snuggle was literally born in the 80's, so to me, this was an incredibly fun opportunity to playfully nod to that time with visuals and expressions from the glory days of MTV," says Director and Creative Director Jason Cook in a statement. "I knew this approach would let me tell the story in a simple way without having to rely on a ton of green screen post work."
Collaboration between the different firms spanned the continent, with work being done in Los Angeles, New York City, Detroit, and suburban Oak Park.
Visit the Snuggle Serenades website to create a personalized video.
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