HOLLYWOOD — Atk Pln (www.atkpln.com) leveraged its background in feature film animation and brand marketing to infuse Mercedes-Benz’s Super Bowl spot with animated characters that viewers have known and loved for decades. The :60 Say the Word commercial was conceived by Merkley+Partners and features a man using voice commands to change the world around him — all for the better. If only the world really responded to such commands the way the all-new Mercedes A-Class responds.
Say the Word aired during the second quarter of Super Bowl LIII game. In addition to Atlanta-based, award-winning, “Dirty South” rapper/actor Ludacris, the spot also features PGA champion Rickie Fowler, iconic Looney Tunes characters, film and television legend Lassie and several others.
Visual effects for the spot were created by Blacksmith, with Atk Pln producing the cartoon animation. The studio used Maya for animation and Houdini for smoke effects. Compositing was performed in Nuke and Arnold was used for rendering. Credits include VFX supervisor Patton Tunstall, technical supervisor Jon Speer, producer Justin Skerpan, animation Darrell Vasquez, tracking Bot VFX, CFX supervisor PJ Torrevillas, CFX artist Rawan Alhosani, model/surfacing Daniel Ries, editorial assist Steven Happel, TD Tony Fan and EP Jim Riche.