Press Release

“Working with New Balance has been a great experience because they have
been true partners in the creative process,” said Jason Mayo, Executive
Producer and Partner for Click 3x. “They have allowed us the freedom to
push the design of the graphic identity of the NB Zip and Abzorb EX
sneakers with the stipulation that the design be bold, targeted and
clearly communicate the benefits of the technology."
When New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. needed innovative design and
animations to showcase two of its new sneakers, it turned to New York
City-based digital production studio, Click 3x. New Balance tapped
Click 3x to produce two 1:20 all-CG HD films for its upcoming,
company-wide sales conference. New Balance is also incorporating the
films into their in-store installations, online advertising, trade show
installations and possibly as cinema release commercials.
Mayo went on to say: “To be successful we had to really understand the
sneaker’s technology and what New Balance wanted to say about these
products.”
In an effort to educate the sales force on the sneaker’s many selling
points the two films provide an inside look at the engineering that
goes into designing the NB Zip and the Abzorb EX. The challenge for the
design team was to convey those features in a visual and arresting
manner ‘ making it all the more difficult since no voice overs or live
action footage were incorporated.
Each sneaker is targeted at a different market so the team had to
creatively determine how to communicate the message to two separate
audiences.
The sneaker, NB Zip, is geared to a younger demographic (15-21), while
the Abzorb EX is aimed at a more established runner willing to spend
$100 + per sneaker.
Click 3x painstakingly modeled the sneakers as realistically as
possible so people could learn how the shoes are constructed, how the
advanced technology works and why the shoes offer the best performance.
Utilizing a color palette of primarily bold oranges, yellows, reds,
blues and muted greens, pieces of the elements and detailed typography
are examined in a series of rapid, flowing scenes that pull the viewer
into the artificial environments. Additional graphics throughout both
films evoke an abstract world made more manageable by the commanding
nature of the sneakers and the branding prowess they emit.
In the more abstract youth oriented film, NB Zip adorns a weight lifter
doing squats, a young woman kickboxing, a basketball player hitting his
groove on the courts, a woman running on a suburban track and a young
man jogging in a city environment. All of the athletes are portrayed in
silhouette, offset by a high energy, hip hop dance music track.
Scientific looking graphics and a liberal use of diagrams and
mathematical text are used throughout to add texture. The film
illustrates the responsiveness of the NB Zip technology.
For the Abzorb EX spot slower music is incorporated at the beginning of
presentation as the sneaker’s disparate parts are shown flying together
before it hits the pavement ready for a serious workout. The artists
show glimpses of the Abzorb EX in a film title fashion using liberal
text and flash frames. The music takes on more energy as the shoes are
shown jogging around a representation of the Central Park Reservoir.
The film transitions to the shoes jogging down a flight of stairs and
then through a cityscape environment. In both films time is spent
deconstructing the part of the shoe most beneficial to the terrain the
jogger just experienced.
Kevin Quinlan, Sr. Visual Effects Artist said: “It was a really fun project. It’s a great piece of theatre.”
The films were created using Adobe After Effects, Photo Shop,
Illustrator. 3D modeling was performed in Maya, and compositing took
place on the Flame.
www.click3X.com