McBess and The Mill’s Carl Addy show the dark side of advertising

Adverts, as we all know, aren’t all about chivalrous Milk Tray men, improbably altruistic small boys and that Smiths B-side appropriation.

2

 

The Mill creative director Carl Addy spells out the dark side in the title sequence of the Ciclope Advertising Festival, with French illustrator McBess bringing it to life in menacing monochrome.

2

Aptly titled The Dark Arts, the title sequence made its debut this week at the festival’s Buenos Aires home.

2

Ciclope aims to celebrate the artistic talent in the production of advertising films, awarding prizes to directors, producers, visual effects supervisors and musicians in Live Action, Animation, Sound and Special categories; alongside talks, seminars, workshops and other events.

2

The brief for the sequence was The Advertising Machine – which The Mill creative director for design, Carl Addy, chose to skew in through a dark, twisted lens. We see the ‘high priest’ of adland duping consumers using his black-magic potions to sell, sell, sell.

2

Illustration duo McBess and Simon took the idea and delineated it through a disquieting cast of tattooed dancers, grim reaper-like figures and, er, kittens.

2

 

Being McBess, there are naturally some massive breasts thrown into the mix: perhaps as an underlying ‘sex sells’ message, or perhaps because, well, that’s what he always does.

 

2

You can watch the video here

Start the discussionStart the discussion
  • Post a comment

Latest articles