Perrier “Melting” and “House of Saddam”

If you haven’t seen Ogilvy & Mather Paris’ Perrier “Melting” spot on the interw3bs yet, you will. It’s one of those projects destined for viral stardom. And for good reason.

Frédéric Planchon (Academy Films) did a great job directing the project towards a satisfying finish.

I’m not sure who handled the vfx, but they’re spot on. (Any help with further credits would be great.) La Maison did a beautiful job on the CG. Thanks to Todd Akita in the comments for this link, which sheds a little light on the fluid simulations at work in the spot.

Red Bee: “House of Saddam”

I can’t help but also share an earlier project here, a promo from agency Red Bee for the BBC “House of Saddam” series.

The vfx (handled by Finish) for “House of Saddam” are much less ambitious and on a smaller scale, but they serve the spot well enough.

It’s the application of the melting concept in the second spot that wins me over, though. It perfectly encapsulates the rise and fall of Saddam’s empire—from stately confidence to embarrassing meltdown. The house of wax metaphor sticks with you well beyond the last frame.

Thanks to Denny Tu for bringing “House of Saddam” to my attention.