Louie the Fly is saved and returns in new animated spots via Havas Worldwide Sydney
Louie the Fly continues his reign on the silver screen in three new animated spots – Crime Scene, Don’t Fear the Spray and Locked Out via Havas Worldwide Sydney.
Last year, Louie amassed over 250,000 votes in a campaign to save the icon, proving he is here to stay. As one of Australia’s most recognised mascots, Louie has been the face of Mortein pest control for over half a century. A villain with a reputation for charm, Louie’s longevity and timeless appeal continues to define the brand.
Led by ECD Steve Coll at Havas Worldwide Sydney the new scenarios were an enticing brief for long-term collaborators director Phil Meatchem and Cutting Edge VFX Supervisor Ron Roberts.
Says Roberts: “Louie is the loveable rogue we can’t help but feel affection for. Over 
the years we’ve developed and honed Louie, Cockie, Mozzie and this time, introduced a new bug, Spider. As Louie’s adventures get more intricate, the visual style keeps moving us forward. The essence of Louie’s cheeky verve has remained unchanged since his inception in 1962.”
Says Andrew Kimberely, ‘Chief’ Louie The Fly Animator: “It’s always fun animating Louie and the gang. They brim with character, and it brings a smile to your face just posing them. It’s a treat to bring this vibrant Aussie icon to life.”
Says Coll: “After 50 years, Louie 
continues to move with the times. We’ve built a community of over 270,000 fans since introducing Louie to Facebook via last year’s ‘Kill or Save Louie’ campaign. And on TV, Phil and Cutting Edge have done a fantastic job of updating Louie’s look using the very latest animation techniques. As this latest campaign shows, there’s plenty of life left in Louie.”
Client: Reckitt Benckiser
Agency: Havas Worldwide Sydney
Executive Creative Director: Steve Coll
Broadcast Producer: Melissa Petryszyn
Creative Group Head: Chris Johnson
Copywriter: Simon Fowler
Art Director: Nicole Hetherington
Production Company: Filmgraphics
Director: Phil Meatchem
Producer: Lee Thompson
Post Production & VFX: Cutting Edge
VFX Supervisor: Ron Roberts
Lead Animator: Andrew Kimberley
3D Artists: Khiem Huynh, Alex Goodwin, Rodrigo Guimaraes
Flame Artist: Scott Geersen & Heather Galvin
Colourist: Scott MacLean
Editor: Joe Morris
Executive Post Producer: Sharon Pearson
Post Producer: Sarah Brown
9 Comments
Lets save a fly that the brand promises to kill…. good one.
Who gives a fuck ?
My word, this industry is up itself.
People voted for Louie?? Well, I guess that means Romney could win too…
Why is this a rubbish ‘social’ idea? Because no-one really gives a shit about the character. It’s the advertiser with its head up its own arse.
GO TOILET
They found Louis but lost Euro RSCG
This type of work is what is all about. Taking something that is CLEARLY BORING such as Bug spray, with a CLEARLY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH CLIENT such as the world renowned Reckitts (if you have any doubts of how bad this brand is to work for have a look at any of the glorious pieces of communications of BAM EASY OFF) and making something that LOOKS GOOD.
So lets take a moment and inspect this from a technical point of view how hard this was to pull off:
-great character design
-from a 3d point of view good rigging, nice lighting, nice texturing.
-good combination of a pixar look and feel and some realistic elements
-good composition altogether
Hey try not to be a douche – rather than pissing down other people’s livelihoods. Try and get a bit clued in as to what it is that you’re actually commenting on. I mean sure if its bad let people know – But make sure you explain why this is bad and how it could have been better. If you’re a writer comment on the script or the lines – make sure you put your take on things to let others asses YOUR abilities.
I dunno. I think i’m too naive. I truly believe that people dont mean to say stupid things. they do because they don’t know any better. So let’s all get better at knowing a lot better.
I dig it. Well crafted and stands out compared to the usual rubbish we are sprayed with.
Stay fresh.
is Louie and those Cockies… shame there couldn’t be more of them in the spot. Who cares about dad spraying the stuff, we all know how it works. What’s going to sell this is the character, not the demo sequence.
Compare this to the recent Birds Eye TVC – those birds are in every shot. I know what chips are and how they taste, I don’t need 15seconds of chip demo. RB and Havas should take a leaf out of that book – stop with the crappy demo sequences, and focus on telling a story with a character that people will remember when they’re in the supermarket.