'Rethink Stability’

Developed in partnership with VML UK, the "Rethink Stability" campaign boldly reframes stability as a dynamic, ever-evolving pursuit. Framestore was tasked with bringing this sophisticated narrative to life through captivating visual effects and high-end CG production, pushing the creative boundaries for both the brand and the financial services category.

Headed up by Sharon Lock The design, art direction, and creative strategy for "Rethink Stability" were all handled at Framestore. 

The core concept required creating a CG photoreal 60-second ‘manifesto’ film about a Spinning Top functioning as the main "character" navigating its way through an unstable and treacherous environment.

The entire spot was set in a macro world, with the environment composed of simple collections of different surface materials and objects. Crucially, some of the textures used in the background were designed to reflect materials found within Lombard Odier’s Swiss offices, connecting the abstract narrative back to the brand's tangible world.

The production process was highly detailed and collaborative, beginning with Initial development where we gathered extensive visual references and creative writing based on the agency's script and voiceover, quickly generating several animation tests to lock down the motion and feel. Following this, a significant phase involved Sharon’s look development for the CG texture materials and finishes for both the Spinning Top and the background environments, which was crucial for achieving the required photorealism in the macro setting. Notably, during the early concept stages, Generative AI was utilized for Gen AI Integration to help speed up the process of texture and material selection, effectively setting the initial mood and tone and proving valuable in shortening the overall turnaround time. For Final Production, once the visual style was agreed upon via CG style frames, the storyboards, previz, CG, and compositing were executed in collaboration with Alibi.

The resulting film successfully conveys Lombard Odier’s message of dynamic stability. By using a seemingly simple object the Spinning Top in a complex, beautifully realized macro world, the campaign visually articulates the brand’s ability to guide investors through uncertainty.

The project was also a reunion, with the Framestore team enjoying the collaboration with Alibi, whose owner and creative director had previously worked with us on the Emmy-winning production Dinotopia 25 years prior.