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Site global Cameroun Côte d'Ivoire Sénégal Site global Cameroun Côte d'Ivoire SénégalComputer animated commercials have invaded the television sets of Cameroon. Until last July, it was impossible to channel surf without stumbling upon talking batteries and a football-playing leopard. Publicity professionals reveal here what is behind these new media trend.
It was if they were on holiday. In August, only Coca Cola asked the publicity agency for an animated advertisement. "Right now, we're working on commercials to be released in September 2010 for the back-to-school season," reveals Martial, a publicity executive in Douala. Up to the month of July, the festival of computer animated advertisements in Cameroon took place on television. Viewers saw the new campaign for the drink Top from the Brasseries du Cameroun, the promotion of the Pilcam batteries, the World Cup's MTN mascot named Zakumi, and AES Sonel's campaign called "No need to electrocute yourself to live the World Cup."
While this digitally produced publicity has been around for years in the audiovisual world, it has made a dazzling breakthrough on the continent. Animated commercials have become popular even beyond the borders of Cameroon. Armand-Brice, a journalist, director and film editor from Abidjan, explains, "This wave of animated creations is the result of great technological progress. Many different areas of expertise are influenced by this. This includes the advertising and cinema sector and other audiovisual work. That is why it is called computer animation. Computers are the tools which make cartoons move around and be animated."
At the beginning, using cartoons in advertising was mainly used to test out bigger advertising projects. "Computer animated commercials are coming into full force on African TV because our publicity professionals want to meet international standards. Furthermore, consumers demand that advertising messages get straight to the point," explains Armand-Brice.
Christian, a film editor and computer graphics artist from Douala, gives his point of view about this new craze: "To keep production costs down and to save time on auditioning, acting and shooting, clients choose computer animation. They tell agencies they want solutions fast. An additional advantage, according to Christian, is that consumers "do not have to identify with a certain person when choosing a certain product."
Let us look at the expenses. 3D films cost "three to four times more" than 2D films, according to Armand-Brice. Ghislaine, a publicity executive from Doula has a different opinion: "Everything is relative. Whether you're working in 2D or 3D, the cost will depend on how the project is conceived, designed and produced." So what is the difference between computer animated commercials and traditional commercials? "It all depends on the special effects and the kind of creative elements," says Ghislaine.
Are the messages more powerful when computer-animated? Martial does not think much of this question. She explains, "I don't think that people are indifferent to the messages. But if you want to hunt down an elephant, don't arm yourself with something meant for a gazelle. If you choose the wrong tools, you'll end up just grazing the elephant's skin."
