Dan & Jason teamed up with 180LA to produce this campaign for the University of Phoenix. The story follows a struggling single mother who finds herself at a crossroads as the human labor force at her factory is rendered obsolete by automated machinery. Without a job and floundering to see a clear path forward, she enrolls in an online course at the University of Phoenix where she's given the skills and toolsets to compete in the tech-driven job market. Using a thematic thread of Rosie the Riveter's famous "We Can Do It!" mantra and executed with beautiful, refined CG, the 60-second spot has a heartwarming quality that connects with viewers in a sweet, sensitive, emotional way.
The theme of the campaign plays into the famous “We Can Do It” slogan. It's a nod to the fact that even though technology has rapidly risen in recent decades, “tech” is still an industry where women are sorely underrepresented. This spot sends a very clear and inclusive message to the tech world and to women everywhere that, even in the face of adversity, their talents are welcome, wanted, and needed.
The art direction and animation style are perfectly wedded to, and supportive of, the narrative. During the early stages of production, the concept art set the foundation for what would become a world with highly expressive detail, expert interplay between gloomy-to-hopeful lighting, and quick-succession scenes that subtly pack a ton of plot and mood. Using CG on top of this foundation provided a realistic, almost Pixar-style quality to the animation, which allowed the emotive elements to shine through.
