Signal introduces Junior toothbrush through Lanka’s first motion capture commercial
January 20, 2011 11:15 am
Unilever Sri Lanka’s iconic oral care brand Signal has always been a pioneer in oral care products with the objective of inculcating a good brushing habit in Sri Lankans. In yet another groundbreaking initiative, Signal will introduce a new Signal Junior toothbrush with a new innovative design for which the TV commercial was filmed using ‘Motion Capture’ technology for the first time in Sri Lanka. The commercial commenced airing from January 7th, 2010.
The same technology seen in many Hollywood Blockbuster movies such as Avatar, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol, Motion Capture is the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a digital model, thereby saving many hours and even weeks of work that would otherwise be spent drawing each individual movement in an animated commercial.
According to Nilushi Jayathilake, Category Head, Oral Care and Deodorants of Unilever Sri Lanka, “Signal has, for the past 5 decades led the way in finding innovative ways for improving oral health care standards of Sri Lankans. From delivering the best oral care products in our toothpastes and toothbrushes, to our renowned Sinabowewa dental camps and school programs which were carried out in order to instill the much necessary habit of brushing at night – and thereby leading the way in protecting and uplifting the world renowned Sri Lankan smile. To us, and a brand such as Signal, constantly striving to offer to our consumers the best that technology can deliver has become a routine job. It is this innovative spirit that has made signal the most trusted and the most used oral care product in Sri Lanka.”
The TVC depicts children having to go through what they consider the mundane task of having to brush their teeth at night before bed, but to their amazement as they pick up their toothbrush they are transported to a fantasy world depicted on the handle of the toothbrush, where they become instant heroes battling away waves of evil germs bent on wreaking havoc.
The Executive Creative Director at LOWE LDB, S. Nathasoruban (Soruban) said the idea behind this commercial was to make children brush with Signal Junior, while allowing them to get into their fantasy world which they love to do. “Being a father myself, I realized that kids hate brushing their teeth, but they love to play. However the toothbrush is not a toy, so the challenge for us was to make brushing seem a fun and playful activity for them. This is where we got the idea of depicting the children entering a make-believe world simply by picking up their toothbrush and brushing their teeth.” According to him, the commercial was created specially to speak to kids on their level thereby helping to cultivate a good habit, while easing the burden their parents face in getting the children to brush at night.
The commercial was produced by Nilan Cooray of Sky Entertainers who also directed the commercial and was the effects supervisor. According to Nilan, before any shooting was done all staff had to be trained on how to use this technology – as it is not easy to master. However, thanks to the dedication and spirit shown by his team, they were soon able to master the technology which resulted in the production of a high quality commercial within a very short period of time.
For the shooting of the commercial for Signal, 12 infra-red cameras were positioned in a circle in which the actor performed all motions clothed in a suit of spandex/lycra made especially for motion capture. The cameras then captured the motions made by the actor and simulated it onto the computer where it was made to resemble the required character.
“The new Junior brush and the fabulous communication done to introduce it to the children of Sri Lanka is testament to the innovativeness of Signal as a brand who has been around for many years. The product is the first of its kind and not only does it deliver a great clean but a great brushing experience and even has an interesting design that will transform the very dull chore of brushing into a more exciting one. The new brush has already been launched in many more advanced markets in Asia such as Indonesia, Vietnam and India. This project is clear proof of the brands ability to bring the best of all things to our beautiful island and to our people,” concluded Mihira Kulatunga, Assistant Brand Manager – Signal, Unilever Sri Lanka, adding that the brush will soon be available in all stores around the country.
