And Then There Was Salsa
Client: Frito Lay Dips
Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Pitch/Directed by Nicholas Weigel
This micro site hosts some of the pitch materials, art and creative direction Nicholas prepared for the Frito Lay Dips campaign. His attention to detail and planning can be seen in the sheets he prepared for the crew internal, but also for conversations with the Agency creatives and clients.
Product
First. Getting to know the product and ingredients. Fresh vegetables, appetite appeal, romance and color. Below is an early look dev example of a 3D asset created to assure the client that we would be able to make stylized vegetables look appetizing.
Salsa
As a character, Salsa is a vivacious, fearless dancer. She owns the qualities of allure and grace, but is also a master chef. Whirling, slicing and stomping she brings both the delicacy and spice your mouth experiences when you have a great Salsa.
World
Salsa's world is one of fanciful abundance - idyllic lighting and optimism. Frito Lay was looking for creation myths for their dips... so it seemed fitting in this case to have Salsa's creation... her magical reveal take place as the sun rises. Capturing the essence of something "new" imbued with freshness and warmth. This also fit with the materials from which her dress was constructed. Salsa was to wear a flamenco inspired dress made of organic floral materials - with serrated hems - this way she could become a graceful "human-food processor" transforming the landscape into delicious product.
Divine Botany
In addition to the world itself... the details within the world was an important design to consider. The term "Divine Botany" was coined to refer to formations, clusters, and magical combinations of the primary ingredients. Nicholas encouraged the designers to use the whole ingredient not just the typical cuts or familiar forms. We wanted to create a place where otherwise mundane vegetables were elevated both in their beauty but also in the inventive ways they can mutate and combine.
Below are some explorations and ultimately a page of designs that would be created in 3D and used throughout the spot.
Motion and FX Timing
To help explain how Nicholas intended to have Salsa's razor sharp hem slice through the plump vegetables in a way that captured a "violent beauty" he assembled this mood piece to go along with his style frame from the pitch.
Vimeo
Beyond the broadcast spot - Goodby Silversetin & Partners wanted to have an interactive experience for the viewer to expand Frito Lay's reach into social media. Nicholas and Goodby created this Vimeo takeover experience - one of the first of its kind - where the entire screen continued the story of Salsa. The experience garnered a crap load of views...
The final spot can be seen below.
...and this was the Vimeo takeover.