New York
Los Angeles
Representation
US
London
Isabella Parish
Ciaran Bennett
Asia & Australia
Germany
Taking an opportunity to break away from the traditional “Happy” personality typical of McDonald’s campaigns, we ventured into uncharted territory with new characters and a new emotional lift. After numerous explorations, we discovered the perfect duo: an endearing little girl and her loving father. Their realistic designs, paired with the subtle simplicity of their expressions, perfectly captures the emotional essence of the little girl’s journey.
We retained a playful nod to the familiar while introducing these new characters, incorporating shape language intrinsic to the Happy universe in order to marry the old with the new. Curvy proportions and a more playful design sensibility delightfully contrasts with the realistic characters and environments. The Hornet team reveled in developing characters, integrating Pikachu’s sparking personality into the Happy universe, and crafting a bite-sized emotional journey that radiates pure and simple fun.
Director Peter Sluzska
Client McDonalds
Production Co Hornet
Managing Director Hana Shimizu
Head of Production Karen Lawler
Head of Creative Development Kristin Labriola
Executive Producer Hana Shimizu
Production Supervisor Dez Stavracos
Senior Producer Marty Geren
Senior Editor Anita Chao
Assistant Editor Hyeseung Kim
Production Coordinator Nora Zubizarreta
Storyboard Artist Stephanie Dere
Art Director Felipe Hansen
Environment Design Felipe Hansen
Character Design Vic Wachana Intrasombat
CG Lead Richard Kim
CG Layout Artist/Look Development Richard Kim, Rui Zhu, Ivan Joy, Kwan Au, Laney Lai, Emily Mai
Modeling Anthony Travieso, Ivan Joy, Rui Zhu, Richard Kim, Laney Lai, Christina Ku, David Soto
Rigging Josh Planz
Pre-Viz Anthony Travieso, Hee Jin Kim
3D Animators Anthony Travieso, Hee Jin Kim
Lighting/Rendering Rui Zhu, Kwan Au, Alvin Bae, Richard Kim
Compositors Richard Kim, Emily Mai, Fred Kim
Grooming Rui Zhu
Agency Leo Burnett UK
Agency Creative Director Pete Heyes
Agency Producer Bruce Macrae
Agency Creative Cicely Alderton & Lisi Davis
Account Director Jack Brenman
Account Manager Nicola Kuan
Client McDonalds
Music Yellow Boat Music
Lead Composer Philip Jewson
Music Producer Paul Cartledge