Dvein’s monsters invade new Terminix ad campaign from Publicis Dallas

A hoard of frightening monsters invade homes in a cinematic TV campaign for pest-control brand Terminix created by ad agency Publicis Dallas and produced by Blacklist’s Barcelona-based directorial and design collective Dvein.

The four spots, part of the 2011 integrated ad campaign, use high-end 3D animation to liken termite, cockroach and ant infestations to the creeping specters of disease and structural damage.

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For Dvein, creating such unsettlingly insatiable creatures was a chance for the Blacklist-repped collective to design and animate characters unlike any others seen in feature film or commercials.

Dvein’s work for Terminix is edgy, fresh, attention grabbing and creatively inspiring.

We are so grateful to work with the Publicis Dallas and Terminix teams who have been great collaborators keen to push boundaries from the start.

Adina Sales

Managing Director / Executive Producer, Blacklist

We liked the idea of working so deeply in character animation

It was something that we hadn’t done before. We love how original and different the campaign is from what pest control companies typically do in advertising.

Dvein

We want to assist homeowners in proactively protecting themselves from the financial and health issues associated with pest problems.

A monster attack is a very clever visual metaphor to communicate that message.

Brad Cumings

Chief Marketing Officer Terminix

Each monster is based on a hybrid of animal and insect features. The hefty, winged star of “Flying Monster”, for example, combines the lumbering nature of bison and elephants with a piranha’s gaping mouth. Dvein dispensed with eyes to emphasize its more unsightly features and add extra fright value.

We thought it was important to create monsters that were unusual and unsettling. Something from the dark corners of the imagination

Shon Rathbone

EVP, Executive Creative Director, Publicis Dallas

Dvein animated the creatures using a combination of manual and simulation tools, such as 3D Studio Max, Maya, After Effects and Nuke, to give each action-packed ad as natural a feel as possible, amplifying the realism of each monster’s weight and anatomy with strategic camera framing.

Publicis Dallas, an integrated marketing communications agency, is a part of Publicis Worldwide in the USA, the North American regional operating unit of Paris-based Publicis Worldwide, the largest global agency network within holding company, Publicis Groupe S.A. Publicis Dallas clients include Nestlé, GSK and ServiceMaster brands TruGreen and Terminix.

Blacklist wants to create visual delights that excite inspired minds. The roster reflects unique talent in mixed media, design and animation. Blacklist directors are multifaceted: their resumes include commercial and music video production, urban toy design, performance and installation art, vj’ing and music. This international group represents a fresh aesthetic movement, often experimental in nature and unafraid of operating at the edges of the industry’s sensibilities. Blacklist provides a platform for these artists to gain exposure and supports them throughout the production process.