In 2017, coffee machine manufacturer Nespresso commissioned a series of Mediterranean-themed illustrations by Finish designer Pietari Posti to promote their limited-edition iced coffee blends. The campaign was entitled ‘Nespresso on Ice’ and was later made into a stylish animated advert.
The 30-second clip takes the viewer on a luxuriating journey around the Mediterranean with the aid of a holidaying woman, from a cliff-side infinity pool, to a peaceful green bay, to the deck of a private yacht, all linked together by a clinking glass of iced coffee.
This is a great animated advert in part thanks to the beauty of its animation, but also because of it’s fantastic use of music and sound effects.
With an upbeat yet relaxing instrumental track alongside some of the sounds of summer – drinks pouring, ice cubes clinking, waves gently lapping, bushes rustling, birds and crickets chirping – it really transports you to a holiday ideal. Enticing you at the end with the words ‘You’re just a sip away’.
It’s Pietari’s series of illustrations, however, with their very modern aesthetic that still maintains an elegant sense of tradition, that keeps to viewer watching. We want to see what stunning location we find ourselves in next. It’s no wonder the ad currently has over 150,000 views on YouTube.
Key Learning Points
Think of clever ways that you could utilize sound and music in your animated advert. People want to be transported, and, in some cases, it can much more effective to achieve this with sound effects rather than voiceover.