I thought to write a quick post on some short films made for a Swiss bag, accessory, and clothing company, FREITAG. These animations function as engaging and sharable video advertisement even though they are not marketed as a conventional commercials.
The company FREITAG and its products were born from graphic designers Markus and Daniel Freitag, who in 1993 were in search of waterproof and durable bags to safely transport their creative work in. They found the right materials within the streets of Zurich – truck tarpaulins, discarded bicycle inner tubes and car seat belts. Their items have taken off in popularity across the globe. Today, with the consumer being ever-more conscious of their purchases, the durability of FREITAG bags and the option to trade in bags one has tired of in exchange for a different or new one puts these items ahead of other long-lasting bag options.
The following three videos are from the 2017 ‘TARP BLANCHE’ series, in which the creatives involved had full authority to tell a story about FREITAG as they envisioned. The narratives get pretty wild.
Big Buddy Blue, by Team Tumult:
THE PICKING, by Burcu & Geoffrey:
TRUCKIN’, by Neil Stubbings:
There are other videos in the series, that can be found on FREITAG’s YouTube Channel. Along with many other interesting promotional videos.
I particularly like the aesthetic of TRUCKIN’, which borrows its purposely monochrome palate and silliness from the hand drawn animations of the 1920s. As with the other short films within the series, this animation explores the creation of the first FREITAG bags with a very unique and warm narrative that keeps the viewer’s attention from start to finish.
Have you watched and shared any company ‘promotional videos’ that act as advertisement for a product or service lately? Did they hit that ‘shareable sweet-spot’ many genuine adverts have aimed for?
DESIGN WORKS 