Corona Pays Homage to Mexican Roots in Meticulously Crafted Stop-Motion Animation Film

Corona honors its Mexican heritage through a meticulous stop-motion animation film that enlisted the help of Andy Gent, the former head of the puppets department on Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. "The History of ‘La Cerveza Más Fina,'" a 60-second ad for the Mexican market narrated by Gael García Bernal and created by Los Angeles agency Observatory, takes audiences through four chapters of the rise of Corona and how it correlates to Mexico's own trials and tribulations since the brand's beginnings in 1925, five years after the end of the decade-long Mexican Revolution. From the Corona Caravan bringing beer and culture to the country during the golden age of Mexican cinema to the 1980s when the company initiated an ambitious global export plan to combat the country's economic crisis, the effort beautifully details how the brand and Mexico have progressed hand-in-hand. [kickout id="1"] The campaign was inspired by the "La Cerveza Mas Fina" label found on every Corona bottle. The sets and imagery were created by renowned Mexican surrealist artist Pedro Friedeberg, whose iconic Hand Chair is the seat where García Bernal is perched to start the narration of the ad. Friedeberg's distinct patterns and vanishing points are incorporated throughout the film in recognition of Mexico's vibrant art history. "La Mas Fina means quality and craft," said Clarissa Pantoja, director of Corona, "so everything we did in our campaign had to have the same craft as our beer." The film, directed by Nicolas Ménard and produced and animated by London and L.A.-based Nexus studios, took 24 images per second to give it the life and movement viewers see in the completed version. It is comprised of eight miniature sets, 421 handmade figures (of which 71 were used in the completed ad) and 350 replicas of Corona's signature glass bottle that were produced, painted and filled with agave syrup to mirror the golden-colored beer. The characters were all modeled in 3D, printed and then hand-painted by Gent’s team at Arch Model Studios, which was also behind the stop-motion animation in Isle of Dogs as well as Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, The Grand Budapest Hotel and other acclaimed films. The creation of the ad took 128 people nearly two months to complete. Production, filming and post-production required an international collaboration of 83 people. There were 30 people in the art department who built the physical models and 17 people worked on the design in-house at Nexus. The music is an original score by Bridget Samuels and played by a London orchestra comprised of more than 50 musicians. "Corona's story is a tale that reflects the spirit of the Mexican people," said Todd Hunter, Observatory co-chief creative officer. "To tell it, we were inspired by a medium that has captured Mexican history for centuries—its art—and brought it to life through a beautiful stop-motion film." Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the ad: [kickout id="2"] Credits The History of ‘La Cerveza Mas Fina’ Client: Corona, Mexico Chief Executive Officer: Carlos Lisboa BU Chief of Marketing: Carlos Ranero Brand Marketing Director: Clarissa Pantoja Communications Manager: Alejandro Gershberg Connections Director: Javier Garcia Experiential Marketing Director: Rodolfo Vargas Content Marketing Manager: Cesar Alcantara Project Lead: Susana Medina Agency: Observatory Marketing Co-Chief Creative Officer: Todd Hunter Creative Directors: Jessica Hundley and Nicole McDonald Head of Production: Chris Totushek Producer: Lula Fotis Senior Brand Director: Erin Heyns Brand Executive: Mack Montague Production Company: Nexus Studios ECD/Co-Founder: Chris O’Reilly Director: Nicolas Ménard Executive Producer: Luisa Murray Producer: Jo Bierton Production Manager: Rebecca Archer Lead/Supervisor: Nico Domerego Art Director: Jack Cunningham Character Design: James Graham Graphic Design: Cecilia Serafini Design: Jamie Jones and Sarah Deane Environment Design: Callum Strachan and Antoine Perez Character Modellers: Andy Hickinbottom and Matt Clark 3D Generalists: Heloise Courtois, Victori Jalabert, Maxime Dartois, Zach Pindolia, Jerémie Cottard and Chloe Plat 2D Animation: Isaac Holland and Duncan Gist Director of Photography: Malcolm Hadley Camera Assistant: Mark Swaffield Gaffer: Tim O'Connell Moco: Stuart Galloway Rigging: Justin Pentecost Spark: Max Milner Strike Spark: Daniel Ansell Puppet and Set Fabrication: Andy Gent Art Department: Marina Ralph, Mick Chippington, Josie Corben, Magda Madra, Sofia Serrano, Mark Fisher, Vaida Klimaviciute, Claudia Brignalezi, Angela Pang, Louise Pratt, Andrew Saunders, Tom James, Gavin Richards, Claire Middleton, Claudia Brugnaletti, Jade Gerrard, Clea Raguideau, Angela Chorlton, Roy Bell, Annick Bosson, Beth Quinton, Fiona Stewart, Grant Humberstone, Ola Kucharska, Michael Nowacki, Mitch Barnes, Colin Armitage and Duncan Mude Practical Lighting: Gary Welch Runner: Chiara De Propis Stop Frame Lead Animator: Tobias Fouracre Stop Frame Animators: Matthew Cooper and Max Martin BTS Cameramen: Thomas Heleta and Mark Van Heusden BTS Photographer: Jacob Robinson First Aid: Darren Boyling Post Production: Freefolk Lead Flame Artist: Steve Murgatroyd Flame Artists: Brandon Danowski and Andy Copping Nuke Artist: Rob Sheridan Colourist: Duncan Russell Post Producer: Laura Ricketts Shooting Studio: Black Island Lighting Equipment: Panalux Camera Equipment: Clapham Road Studios Editor: David Slade BTS Editors: Thomas Heleta and Michael Rohrbaugh Assistant Editor: Bruno Collins Music: Bridget Samuels Sound Design and Mix: Barking Owl Creative Director: Kelly Bayett Producer: Ashley Benton Sound Designer: Morgan Johnson Mixer: Matt Keith