Stop-Motion Trend Worse Than We Realized

We blogged Friday about stop-motion animation in holiday TV commercials – another sign that the advertising world is bereft of originality. We cited three examples (Apple, Aflac, Office Max).

Today, a USA Today story picks up where we left off and adds more exhibits to the evidence file:

- Alltel (Campbell-Ewald)
- AT&T's GoPhone (BBDO)
- American Eagle Outfitters (Divide Pictures) [These are "webisodes," not TV spots.]

Six items make more than a trend – it's an epidemic. This concept is as stale as February eggnog and should be tossed immediately. I think Yukon Cornelious would agree.

YouTube versions of these ads...

Alltel:

A&T GoPhone:

Comments

[Chris Lopez]

Cmon, I like em, to each his own but I seriously dont see the need to bash something that people obviously have worked very hard and long hours on.I think that stop motion is an art just as Photography or anything else.

[Daryl Lang]

To clarify: I love stop motion animation. I don't love how advertisers all latch on to the same idea at once.

[Mrs. Milton]

All creative people have to earn a living to pay the bills, even people like Jim Henson, used Kermit for ads before The Muppets became so popular. I realize he's not an animator, but decades ago puppets were used as much as animated figures are now. The commercials are fun to watch and make us laugh......what's wrong with that? Animators can learn their craft while getting paid, just like any actor, director, CRITIC, or any other creative who doesn't live in a Communist state where the government pays them. You're not a Communist are you?