A new behind-the-scenes look at the making of Virgin Media's newest ad campaign featuring a Highland cow has been released.
The commercial, which was devised by creative agency VCCP and directed by Jeff Low, stars a 3D model of a Highland cow riding a motorcycle through the Scottish Highlands to promote the company's fast Wi-Fi.
Watching the advert, you could be easily fooled into thinking the cow is real, but now Untold Studios, the creative group behind the ad, have shared a look at how they did it.
The video reveals how the furry star of the show was made using 3D computer generated imaging technology (CGI), and how the visual artists were able to make the cow look so realistic. The illuminating clip starts similarly to the advert, showing a close-up of the cow.
However, it soon reveals how the virtual animal was created. First, all of the cow's tufts of fur are individually coloured.
Then, each individual strand of fur is also coloured, showcasing the staggering power of the visual effects software. After this, the clip then shows how the team were able to simulate the effect of the cow's fur blowing in the wind while riding on the motorbike. This was achieved by first filming a human driver's hair as he rode the bike and emulating the effects of the wind.
Next, the computer-generated cow is stripped back to its bones and horns, demonstrating that Untold Studios aimed to be as realistic as possible when simulating the animal's movement throughout the advert.
Finally, the video reveals how the 3D model was inserted into the footage of the Scottish Highlands. Again, by modelling the technology around footage of a human driver biking along the route.
By mapping the model of the cow to the real-life driver's movements, the visual effects artists were able to seamlessly overlay the cow onto into the backdrop. The final step of the process involved re-colouring the video to make it as cinematic as possible.
The charming advert, which first aired in October, was created to promote the telecommunications company's new internet speed guarantee. It shows a cow peering in the window of a house and gazing longingly at a motorbike race being streamed on a laptop. The ad then cuts to an exterior shot of a motorcycle next to the cow.
Following this, the animal proceeds to ride the vehicle through the countryside, soundtracked by Patrick Swayze's She’s Like The Wind, which most will remember from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing.
A voiceover by Scottish actor Peter Mullen then states: "Why walk when you can ride? Introducing the fastest Wi-Fi guarantee of any major provider."
There are two versions of the advert that have been released by Virgin Media, with a longer 60-second version only showing the animal riding the motorcycle through the Highlands.
According to Virgin Media, the cow riding free on the motorbike is a metaphor for customers enjoying their fast broadband speeds.
Speaking about the advert, Untold Studios stated: "We had so much fun crafting the leading lady in this brilliant campaign. The team did an amazing job and it's so great to see it getting the love it deserves."
The Highland cow is set to reappear in more of Virgin Media's adverts throughout 2022 as part of their ‘Why Walk When You Can Ride’ brand campaign. However, it appears unlikely the majestic animal will remain a permanent and long-term mascot.
It remains to be seen whether Virgin's cow will become as instantly recognisable, but Untold Studios' behind-the-scenes peek shows just how much work went into creating the charming animal.
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