Two chocolate-craving characters of cartoon commercials past have been given a 2018 refresh in a slate of new pan-European spots for Kellogg’s Coco Pops cereal, produced by up-and-coming Dublin creative house Piranha Bar. Led by Digitas in London and Leo Burnett, the commercials offer a more in-depth take on Coco the monkey and his nemesis Croc the crocodile.
The flagship commercial “The Chase” follows a madcap pursuit up and down a huge mountain, which for Coco involves a Donkey Kong Country-style mine cart ride, surfing down a stream of delicious krispies, and riding a parachute to safety.
“The goal of the production was to create a bigger action feel overall while introducing a more nimble and skilled Coco showing off and pulling some awesome stunts,” said co-director Gavin Kelly of the re-design. “We wanted to make the final film feel more frenetic and exciting than the legacy Coco Pop spots by giving them a cinematic action flair and Indiana Jones style spectacle. The sets and characters also benefit from greater detail and richness, ensuring that the animation feels premium and up to date for an increasingly discerning animation audience.”
Piranha Bar’s tasty world building and character work continues in subsequent spots, including the recently released Panini World Cup promo, which sees Coco and his soccer playing pals battling it out amidst jungle ruins.
Co-director Richard Chaney added: “Crafting the new Coco Pops world has enabled us and the team at Piranha Bar to open up new possibilities for the characters as they graduate from playful icons to cinematic action heroes.”
“It was a dream come true for us to be handed the keys to such an iconic brand and character world. We had a blast updating Coco and dialling up the excitement factor for this epic spot,” continued Kelly.
Coco the Monkey was introduced as the chocolatey cereal’s mascot in the UK in 1963, and was the longstanding face of Coco Pops. In the 2000s, on-air campaigns turned to less character-centric commercials. But, Kellogg’s brought Coco & Friends (and Croc) back to the fore in 2011. The new spots from Piranha Bar are the latest chapter in the spunky simian’s career.
Learn more about Piranha Bar at http://piranhabar.ie.
Kelloggs Coco Pops – The Chase from Piranha Bar on Vimeo.
