W+K Portland teamed up with production company Psyop to create the animated 60-second broadcast spot “Man & Dog.”
“Man & Dog” tells the story of a hyper, happy dog and his mopey owner. We see both of their perspectives as the dog manages to drag the man out of the apartment and to the local park. With much effort, and with the help of a Cole machine, the dog is finally able to change the man’s point of view. The spot utilizes hand-drawn animation to evoke emotions and perspectives in ways that would be difficult to accomplish with computer animation. Not only does the hand-drawn style look good, but the way it switches the perspectives from the man to he dog and back are really what make the ad work.
“Sure, occasionally one dials 911 or wins America’s Got Talent, but for the most part, dogs are idiots. That’s why we love them,” animation director Todd Mueller told The Inspiration Room. “Dogs don’t see a heap of two-week old laundry; they see a castle ready to be defended, then napped in.”
“To truly appreciate the unique feeling of looking at the world through a dog’s eyes, we had to make sure that his moments really set themselves apart from the rest of the spot,” added animation director Kylie Matulick. “To achieve this, we did as much as we could to shift the feeling of the moment, from unique camera moves, the look and sound of the action. Things become brighter, more fanciful, and it’s clear that you’re seeing things in a new way.”