The thrill of driving fast and free has made Ubisoft’s The Crew game series popular worldwide. Sid Lee is making its third iteration, The Crew Motorfest, popular before it launches.
In the real world, driving regulations are becoming more stringent, cars are acquiring more and more autonomy. The feel of the engine’s power going its maximum, the feel as you change gears? Disappearing. In The Crew Motorfest, however, you get to live the ultimate driving experience, exploring the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, freely.
Sid lee has captured that thrill in its campaign – in an unexpected way. The 80-second film, Life is Better at Motorfest, makes cars the dreamers. It’s a story of the dream cars’ dream – being able to drive without limits, never stuck in traffic, just enjoying the open road and vibrant sensations.
The film opens onto three beautiful cars stuck in a traffic jam – a Lamborghini Huracàn Tecnica, a Porsche Taycan Turbo S and the latest Nissan Z. Their itch to escape is palpable. They spot a billboard advertising the Motorfest, the festival giving its name to the game, and start to dream. In a universe of paradisiac roads, a waterfall becomes the perfect car wash, they picture themselves getting waxed under the sun before getting together around campfire.
Adding to the dream emotion is Gwen Stefani’s hit, The Sweet Escape, featuring Akon. The live-action film was shot in Miami and edited using VFX to showc the game’s vibrant colours and dreamy vibes.
The campaign launched on September 11, when The Crew Motorfest opened its Early Access before the wide release of the game on September 14. It invited gamers to a free trial that allows them to play The Crew Motorfest for free for 5 hours from September 14 to 17.
“The pleasure of driving should never die, but today, in real life it’s not a priority anymore. We must look for alternatives that are cleaner and perhaps even less fun. The CrewMotorfest is, without a doubt, an amazing option for rediscovering the thrill of driving with no limits. We wanted to make this ad a real moment of pleasure,” stated Stéphane Soussan, executive creative director of Sid Lee.
Credits:
Client: Ubisoft
Geoffroy Sardin – Senior Vice-president, Sales and Marketing
Lionel Hiller – Vice-president, Executive Publisher
Edouard D’Alnois – Global Brand Director
Charles Carrot, Lina Chaghouri, Thomas Soulé & Zoé McClay: Global Brand Managers
Doriane Paux & Amélys Amghar – Global Brand Manager Assistants
Agency: Sid Lee
Johan Delpuech – CEO
Stéphane Soussan – Executive Creative Director
Ninon Peres – Copywriter
Geoffrey Poulain & Eric Boussenec – Art Directors
Yoann Plard – Editor & Motion designer
Margaux André – Account Director
Louisa Chaouche Teyara & Thomas Alber – Account Executives
Laetitia Neves – Head of production
Mirabelle Yehoussi – Production Assistant
Bruno Lee – Head of Strategy
Leah Daymon – Strategist
Production: BIG Productions
Jean-Baptiste Saurel – Director
Kasia Staniaszek – Producer
Nicolas Avram – Production Director
Augustin Claramunt – Director of photography
Natacha Dolard – Post-production Director
Eric Jacquemin – Chief Editor
Post-production
Quentin Letout – Supervisor
Arthur Paux – Calibrator
Olivier Zibret – Flame
Julien Barthelemy – After FX
Omar Camara – Matte painting
Hugo Jaulin – Houdini
Bruno Leguern & Benoît Revilliod – 3D
Johan Luce-Antoinette – Post-producer
Sound: Benzene
Loïc Canevet, Will Rosati & Mathias Villeroy – Sound Designers
Heather MacFarlane – Sound Producer
