Hertz

Information / Credits

Blacklist and Studio AKA have completed a new TV & print campaign for Hertz that focuses on the tagline Traveling at the Speed of Hertz. Revolutionizing the category with new and improved service features, Hertz reaffirms its commitment to continuously move in the direction of innovation and offer a faster more personalized rental experience. To differentiate from others in the category, they must communicate our strengths of innovation, reputation, speed and service. “We are so thrilled to partner with Studio AKA on this campaign,” says Adina Sales, Managing Director, Blacklist. “We have been keen to bring AKA's amazing talents to the US Market, and have been actively seeking the right collaborative opportunity for them. The Hertz campaign, via DDB NY, was the perfect fit. AKA raises the bar on smart thinking, clever design and great storytelling. The stars aligned for this project and the result is smart, fresh work." Working with Blacklist to come up with some designs for the new campaign, Studio AKA looked to sought after Designer Christopher Gray to come up with what had to be a strikingly minimal yet still engaging look to carry across the campaign. Gray’s designs hit the spot with Hertz and AKA teamed him up with recent Oscar Nominated director Grant Orchard to collaborate on the campaign. In addition to the stand alone mnemonic which starts each spot, AKA were tasked with tweaking the existing Hertz mascot Horatio to fit the more angular stylings of the end campaign - and with the reassuring VO courtesy of Owen Wilson - the spots were kept deliberately sparse, with effort made to hold back on excessive details. The 2D character & set elements animation were created by hand in Flash with the 3D vehicles were built & composited in XSI and After Effects. The Series rolls out over the next few months and the result is a beautifully restrained campaign befitting of Studio AKA. The graphic style of this campaign marks a departure from past campaigns, namely Hertz’s most recent campaign featuring the personas of the Gas and the Brake. Alternatively, this campaign is animated and takes a single-minded approach to each of the services. The highly stylized, contemporary looking animation seeks to reflect the sophistication of the premium and technologically-advanced services being showcased in an effort to resonate with business as well as leisure travelers.

Client: Hertz Campaign Title: Traveling at the speed of Hertz TV Spot Titles: “Carfimation”, “Zap Technology: Departure”, “Zap technology: Arrival”, "Auto Bliss", "Choose Control" Advertising Agency: DDB, New York, USA Chief Creative Officer: Matt Eastwood Group Creative Directors: Pat Carella, Sonya Grewal Director of Broadcast Production: Ed Zazzera Group Account Director: Catherine East Management Supervisor: Kim Rosenberg Account Executive: Tegan Smith Assistant Account Executive: Nick Pellicano Business Manager: Lynda Blaney-Smith Production Company: Studio AKA / Blacklist Designer: Christopher Gray Directors "Carfimation”, “Zap Technology: Departure", “Zap Technology: Arrival”, "Auto Bliss": Christopher Gray & Grant Orchard Directors "Choose Control": Christopher Gray & Steve Small Studio AKA Producer: Sharon Titmarsh Blacklist Executive Producer: Adina Sales Blacklist Producer: Patrick Gantert Animation: Phillip Warner, Steve Small, Phillip Warner, CGI Builds & Pre Vis: Vincent Husset Compositor: Will Eagar Editor: Nic Gill Music and Sound Design: Q Department