When Publix Super Markets and agency 22squared needed a way to breathe new life into Plato, the grocer’s long-time dinosaur mascot, they called upon the design and animation expertise at Nathan Love. The studio updated the character, yanking the newly decked-out dino from his traditional 2D shell into a vibrant 3D world to produce a four-spot campaign.
The revitalized Plato retains all the hallmarks of the classic character, but set in a world of lush color and vibrant objects – the soccer balls, skateboards, sprinklers and rollercoasters that keep the daring dinosaur entertained while encouraging kids to live an active, healthy lifestyle.
“Publix wanted to explore the idea of modernizing this character to appeal to contemporary child audiences, as well as to raise the overall production value, and we embraced that challenge,” noted Founder and ECD Joe Burrascano. “We felt it was important to keep the essence of the design intact, faithfully translating Plato into the 3D world, while both preserving a classically cartoonish tone and taking advantage of the extra detail that the medium allows. We ended up creating a playful world worthy of any child’s imagination.”
The new campaign is just the latest entry in a long line of energetic animated work from the studio. In particular, 22squared sought out Nathan Love’s assistance with this project after being impressed with a cast of adorable characters that the studio created for their Baskin-Robbins campaign in 2010.
