W+K Launches Another Whimsical Animated Film That Shows Oregon’s Quirky Majesty

Last spring, Travel Oregon, with its agency Wieden + Kennedy Portland, introduced a fantastical, animated world that showed the state in a “slightly exaggerated” way. There were giant rabbits cavorting in rainbow fields of tulips, whales swimming through sun-kissed skies...and a few more quirky embellishments about the unique nature of life in Oregon. Today, Travel Oregon and W+K are at it again as they launch the second iteration of the campaign. This time, their depiction of the agency's home state is “only slightly (more) exaggerated.” Viewers are treated to more of what the state has to offer from sunrise to sunset, including racing on the dunes at the coast, moments at the Oregon Caves National Monument and paragliding over Steens Mountain in the southeastern part of the state. [kickout id="1"] Once again a charming homage to the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli, the spot shows a young girl and a friendly beast dining in Portland (yes, there are donuts, a city staple). An easter egg that most may miss is the bottle of Oregon Solidarity wine, a tip of the hat to the collaboration of four Oregon wineries that came together to help winemakers in the Rogue Valley wine region that was affected by last summer’s wildfires. Much like the brand’s first ad that nabbed over 10 million worldwide views, there are also breezy Seussian elements in nearly 2-minute film, including nature coming to life, that makes for a rich canvas of whimsy that suits the idiosyncratic vibe of the state. But the overall intent is to paint a picture of joy and freedom of a visit to the Beaver State. “The goal of this campaign is to welcome and invite everyone to experience a happier state of being while traveling in Oregon,” says Travel Oregon CEO Todd Davidson. “As people are overwhelmed with the distractions of modern life, experiencing the wonders of Oregon can be the answer for that. Whether that respite is on a beach, in a high desert or under a forest canopy, there are abundant opportunities to unplug and reconnect with yourself and nature here in Oregon.” Animation for “Only Slightly (More) Exaggerated” was led by Psyop and Sun Creature Studios with the original music score composed by Jim Dooley. "Our goal with Only Slightly Exaggerated, both last year and this year, is to visualize the emotional experience of visiting Oregon," says Ansel Wallenfang, creative at Wieden + Kennedy. "By using animation, we are able to capture experiences that go beyond traditional travel films, while also feeling unique to our state." The creative is targeted to a regional crowd in markets outside the state like Seattle, San Francisco, Boise and the Tri-Cities of Washington state, and also in-state in Portland, Bend and Eugene. In addition to the film, the campaign will extend to digital, out of home and transit. There will also be digital elements like wallpapers GIFs and more online content highlighting specific areas in the state. Here's a look back at the original ad, followed by the credits for the sequel: [kickout id="2"] CREDITS: Client: Travel Oregon Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Portland Executive Creative Directors: Jason Bagley, Eric Baldwin Writer: Ansel Wallenfang Art Director: Nick Stokes Director of Production: Matt Hunnicutt Executive Producer: Heather Smith-Harvey Producer: Nicole Kaptur Account Team Members: Megan Riehl, Lindsay Varquez, Steve Smith Media Team: Brian Goldstein, Natalia Naranjo, Annamaria Grinis Business Affairs: Kevin Moyer Traffic: Jesus Garcia Design Producer: Amy Streger Studio Designer: Denny Robles Retoucher / 3D Artist: Amy Ellars Print + Fabrication Producer: Kristin Holder Production Company: Psyop Director: Kylie Matulick, Todd Mueller Managing Director: Neysa Horsburgh Executive Producers: Shannon Alexander Head of Production: Drew Bourneuf Producer: Nick Read Finishing Producer: Lusia Share Assistant Producer: Codey Lombardi 2D Supervisor: Ryan Raith Storyboard Artists: Judah Dobin, Max Forward Compositing: Ryan Raith, CJ Cook, Tommy Wooh Flame Artist: Kim Stevenson Flame Assistant: John Saint-Buzon Editor: Volkert Besseling, Brett Nicoletti 2D Animation Company: Sun Creature Executive Producers: Bo Juhl Nielsen, Guillaume Dousse Line Producer: Thomas Fenger Production Manager: Billie Segal Art Directors: Guillaume Dousse, Simon Lee Bresling Development Art Director: Birk Von Brockdorff Lead Designer: Cyrille Chauvin Animation Supervisor: Mourad Elias Seddiki Background & Layout Supervisor: Martin Sand Vallespir Comp Supervisor: Andreas Severin FX Supervisor: Thibaud Petitpas Clean- Up Lead: Kay Sales Storyboard: Arnaud Tribout Colorscript: Arnaud Tribout Concept Art: Daniel Cacouault, Arnaud Tribout, Alexis Liddell, Rémi Salmon Character Design: Cyrille Chauvin, Luca Vitale Layout Background: Simon Masse, Ines Scheiber, Jean-Michel Boesch, Mathias Zamecki Layout Posing: Pierre Rütz, Charles Badiller, Xavier Ramonède, Sandrine Han Jin Kuang Compositing: Gabrielle Locre, Victoria Jardine, Birk Von Brockdorff Background: Matthew Vince, Artur Sadlos, Faustine Dumontier, Simon Masse, Sylvain Fabre Animation: Pierre Rütz, Charles Badiller, Xavier Ramonède, ArnaudTribout, Sandrine Han Jin Kuang, Uriel Mimran, Diane Tran-Duc FX Animation: Olivier Malric, Rachid Guendouze, Ines Scheiber, Xavi Siria 3D Generalist: Henrik Langergaard Clean-Up: Mapie Demessant, Joanna Boyle, Friedrich Schäper, Till Machmer, Aleksandra Krechman, Nawell Sdiri, Rocio García Ledo, Tatiana Mazzei, Drude Mangaard, Aida Slamnjakovic, Michelle Chang, Christina Susanna Nerland, Helen Michael Color: Frederik Troels-Smith, Mie Pedersen, Kay Sales, Mapie Demessant, Aleksandra Krechman, Friedrich Schäper, Till Machmer, Michelle Chang, Aida Slamnjakovic Color Detail: Charles Badiller, Louise Hovgård, Mapie Demessant, Frederik Troels-Smith, Kay Sales, Friedrich Schäper, Till Machmer, Nawell Sdiri, Diane Tran-Duc, Xavi Siria, Viviane Guimaraes, Sarah Simon Music Composer:James Dooley Orchestrator: Tim Davies Mixer: Steve Kaplan Sound Design Company: LIME Sound Designer: Matt Miller Audio Assistant: Lisa Mermelstein Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan Producer: Kayla Phungglan Mix Company: LIME Audio Mixer: Matt Miller Audio Assist: Lisa Mermelstein Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan Producer: Kayla Phungglan