“We all vape on the same planet,” thus begins vape brand Vuse’s recent sustainability push in advertising. We caught up with Mat Rodrigues of Sao Paolo’s Vetor Zero on how they put together their ad meant to position the client as, “the most sustainable vape brand,” out there.

“The project centered around using recyclable materials, specifically recycled paper, which posed unique challenges,” Rodrigues said. “Since these materials don’t behave as predictably as those typically used for stop-motion animation, we had to get creative, especially with rigging, to ensure they functioned properly.”

The film featured two types of animation: objects that were rigged and fully animated, and others that were pre-fabricated sequences with interchangeable parts. “This required a lot of repetitive work,” he told us, “especially with small elements like trees, where we created multiple versions to allow for fluid motion by swapping out pieces.

“Additionally, the visual aesthetic demanded a clean, graphic look, which meant we couldn’t rely on the natural textures and imperfections common in stop-motion. We focused on achieving precise animation and lighting while keeping post-production to a minimum. The final result is largely stop-motion, with minimal CGI or visual effects, except for rig removal with minimal use of layers.”

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For more on the piece, head to the team’s Instagram for this behind the scenes vid.

Credits
Agency: VMLY&R London
Client: Vuse
Title: Sustainability Pledge
Production Company: @vetorzero / @lobo.cx
Director: @gabriel_nobrega_
Executive Producer: Francisco Puech
Director of Photography: Lucas Barreto
Account Manager: Raphael Stanzani
Animation: Gabriel Nóbrega
Stop Motion Team Coordinator: Bianca Viani
Set Design: Borys Duque, Carmem Guerra, Lígia Jeon
Art Department: Borys Duque, Carmem Guerra, Lígia Jeon, Lídia Yogi, Heitor Yida, Lua Nucci, Mariana Coan, Michelle Chuang, Ricardo Filomeno, Simone Pinheiro
Post Producers: Eduardo Silva, Ricardo Vaz
Post-Production Coordination: Clara Morelli, Rosângela Gomes
Post-Production Coordination Assistant: Bruna Boretto
Animatic: Julio Saez
Motion/3D: Rudi Gude
Concepts: Débora Matsuda, Marcio Guerra, Rafael Fernandes
Board: Rafael Fernandes
Lead Compositor: Carlos Campos
Compositing: Carlos Campos
Roto: Rodrigo Vec, Gassan Abdouni
Stop Motion Rigs: Nidin Sanches
Animation Assistant & Behind the Scenes Producer: Nidin Sanches
Content Editor: Tiago Stamato
Sound Production: DaHouse Audio