The One Show
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Category
Animation / Single
Annual ID
OS22_MI114M
About the Work
COX Communications is a cable and internet company whose mission is to help people have more real, human connections. Yet to many of its customers, COX is just the provider they’re stuck with, not a brand that shares their values.
To strengthen COX's relationship with its customers, we sought to improve overall brand sentiment and trust in a highly commoditized (and negatively perceived) space. Showing people that COX is not just a number you call when service is down at home, but a brand you can count on when human connection is down in society. Our brief was to create bold, real-world solutions that bring Cox’s brand purpose to life by providing real, human connection where it’s needed most.
So, when COVID-19 cancelled Thurman White Middle School’s play, we reimagined it as an animated film. We partnered with an Academy Award winning director and used facial tracking technology to turn middle school students into voice actors and performers. Each student got the chance to see themselves as an animated character designed just for them, and express themselves creatively for the first time in a year. They also got to experience the milestone of performing with classmates again, all from the safety of their own homes.
The result was Drawn Closer, a heartfelt story of a play in trouble, and a drama class determined to save it. In the film, it's the opening night of Thurman White Middle School’s play and everything seems to be going wrong. From technical hiccups, to wardrobe malfunctions, to a star stuck at home with a (literal) broken leg, no one knows how it will all come together. Through teamwork and technical ingenuity, the students of Thurman White manage to pull off a miracle – after all, the show must go on. As the credits roll, we reveal side-by-side shots of the real kids next to their animated characters.
2022 Awards
Total Points: 3
Merit
Credits
Agency
180LA / Los Angeles
Client / Brand
Cox Communications / Atlanta
Production Company
Nexus Studios / Los Angeles
Art Director
Arvid Harnqvist
Copywriter
Amar Marwaha
Emma Zakes Green
Chief Creative Officer
Al Moseley
Director
Patrick Osborne
Executive Creative Director
Mike Bokman
Group Creative Director
Jason Rappaport
Strategist
Mauricio Barreda
Head of Production
Bryan Sweeney
Managing Director
Megan McDonnell
Senior Art Director
Elizabeth Lay
Director, Brand Strategy & New Media
Rachel Negretti
Head of Strategy
Kaleen Ogden
Senior Brand Manager
Morgan Theis
Senior Manager, Marketing
Brittany Tyner
Senior Vice President, Brand Strategy
Gaston Vaneri
Social Media & Content Marketing
Roger Jones
Vice President, Brand Strategy & Consumer Insights
Brian Stifel
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