Felt makes us feel all fuzzy inside

There was a time not too long ago when computer generated animation reigned supreme in adland, but in recent months a nostalgia bug has swept through the industry and beloved materials and techniques have been dusted off, spruced up and unleashed onto a gleeful public. In the past year and a half we’ve seen the return of dioramas, pop-up books, stop-motion plastic figurines, and, ultimately, the arts and craft phenomenon that was little bits of material that just about managed to hang on to each other – providing you were very careful. Yes. Fuzzy felt is back, which means this traditional animation revival business is serious, and we want to talk about it.

Microsoft may have hit us with a big budget integrated campaign, spearheaded by a fantastic diorama based spot from McCann San Francisco and MJZ, for Halo 3, but Cravendale garner the plastic figurine spoils in this feature. Their mad-cap trio of stop-motion spots featuring the odd couple of a pirate and a cyclist won the hearts of the nation and showed just how much people love their old-school toys and the fun ways in which they can be used to advertise all manner of products.

We don’t remember ever really being into pop-up books, they’re just not as fun as action figures and army men, but we’re sure that our parents and grandparents were riveted by the simple pleasures of a book with moving parts, before the goggle box made its way into the corner of every living room. Lexus got there first, but their effort was a bit too big and clever for the purposes of this feature, so if you’re looking for a good old fashioned bit of pop-up nostalgia you need to go to the single-static-shot-with-chirpy-voiceover mastery of Persil’s ‘Pop-up Book’.

The latest – and most inspired – nostalgic animated turn has just hit our screens. Surely inspired by the Fuzzy Felt greetings cards available in shops, CHI & Partners with Tandem Films have bought the glorious stuff back and it’s as fun as ever. Who would have thought that a little ol’ fuzzy felt stop-motioner would be able to cut it in the CGI dominated world of 2008? It does, however, and the spots look great – beautifully complimenting the free-range ethos of the brand.

We’re off to make Fuzzy Felt Valentine’s cards, just remember, if you’re the lucky beneficiary of one, be gentle and maybe just keep it lying face up.