Do you know what’s better than getting a lot of content? Getting a lot of content while saving money along the way.
The Kirby Company is no stranger to TRG. We’ve worked on projects with the premier vacuum manufacturer for around a decade, so we were thrilled when Kirby came back with a brand-new job – and it was a big one. Keep reading to find out how our full range of capabilities and past work history with Kirby helped us deliver a whole lot of content at an extremely efficient cost.
What Kirby Needed
After decades of taking an in-person approach to selling vacuums, it was time for Kirby to build its presence online. Kirby products were traditionally sold in door-to-door demonstrations, but Kirby needed to open their own digital doorway to customers. Kirby needed to open their own digital doorway to customers.
Enter TRG. Kirby had worked with TRG before for product images and more, but now the vacuum company needed enough content to fill their ecommerce website. In fact, here’s a convenient bullet point list of everything they needed for their website and social media:
- Four different videos meant to address people at different stages of the marketing funnel.
- Product and lifestyle photography.
- CGI animations for the videos.
- Multiple residential sets from our collection.
- Styling and design for all these different assets.
Kirby knew that TRG has built a one-stop shop to make the production of all these content needs as efficient and cost-effective as possible.
How We Made That Happen
Every project starts with a conversation. A lot of these talks allow us to get to know the client and understand what they’re trying to accomplish, so we already had a head start with Kirby.
Take the lead on art direction
By the time they came to us, Kirby’s team already had a scope of the different videos and other types of assets they wanted, but it was on us to figure out how to bring them to life.
While some clients dictate what they want in terms of styling and design, Kirby leaned on us for more creative direction. We have a long history with them, so we know what they like and they trust us to create something that matches their vision. They had a few initial ideas – they wanted a sleek and powerful vibe – so that’s what we did!
We got to work planning everything. We picked out different sets, assembled design boards, created story boards, drafted video scripts, and everything else needed to make all this fancy vacuum content under a single roof. Kirby signed off on our plan, and then it was off to the races.
Create a winning video formula
Speaking of races, did you know that vacuums and Formula One cars have more in common than you think? One challenge was creating a video to compare the sheer power and sleek performance of Kirby’s vacuums to these stunning racecars. We combined CGI animation, stock footage, and lifestyle video with some slick editing to make a clean floor feel like reaching that checkered flag (even if vacuuming doesn’t end with a trophy).
Turn old opportunities into new assets
One of the best parts of working with a past client is that some of the work may already be done. Since we had worked with Kirby on CGI product images in the past, we already had a lot of the CAD files converted and rendered into photoreal stills. All we had to do was make some small tweaks to keep these images up to date, but that past history alone already saved us a lot of time (and better yet, a lot of money for Kirby).
We were able to use these preexisting assets to complement the new lifestyle photos and other images being taken on some of our in-studio sets. They were also the basis of a brand-new video used to show off the internal workings of Kirby’s vacuums. We created cutaways to show off how different parts worked, such as the belt lifter, the bag, and other critical components. We worked closely with Kirby to make sure everything was accurate and looked realistic. In the end, Kirby’s customers had a new way to appreciate the inner working of these machines.
Deliver a satisfying deep clean
While one CGI project showcased all the parts that make Kirby’s vacuums work, another was meant to make people appreciate everything else that goes inside these machines. Kirby wanted a video that showed the vacuum in action. The difference was that this video would give customers an up-close look at these vacuums from the floor’s point of view.
This process was technically difficult as we had to camera match video footage we took of the vacuum with a CGI camera as customers got an up-close view of the inside of a carpet. We animated each of the carpet fibers to move out of the way, exposing all the dirt, hair, and other unsavory particles that are soon sucked away by our hero, the Kirby vacuum. Timing everything up isn’t easy, but that’s why we have a talented CGI team at TRG.
Of course, timing and camera angles were only one part of the problem. Did you ever think about what dirt, hair, and carpet fibers should look like up close? Probably not, but we had to! We worked with Kirby to figure out the right look for each element and just how particles we should add. We also had to animate the carpet fibers and detritus to vibrate to showcase the power of this vacuum. This process took some trial and error, but getting that right can make all the difference for both clients, vacuum enthusiasts, and anyone else who simply wants the ultimate deep clean.
Navigating the sheer scope of the project
Each project has special challenges, but sheer volume is another hurdle that’s easy to overlook. Simply put, there were a lot of moving parts to this project and we had to figure out the best, most efficient way to proceed.
Large project management requires a lot of planning and communication. Thankfully, we’re good at that. Every project is different, so we worked with Kirby to address all the different aspects and variables needed to create proper timelines and execute each deliverable, whether that means dealing with talent or making sure the set isn’t behind schedule. We used a thorough tracking system to streamline every step, facilitate reviews and approvals, and make sure each team was working in tandem.
The End Results
After plenty of planning, styling, shooting, and animating – not to mention pondering exactly what dirt should look like – TRG was able to deliver four new videos and numerous images to help Kirby make its grand entrance into the wild world of e-commerce.
Of course, there’s more to the end results than just the final assets. Throughout the project, we were able to create a whole bunch of content for a very reasonable budget, all thanks to our breadth of services under one roof and our past history with Kirby.
Got a big project for your brand? As you can tell, we’re pretty good at turning large, complicated jobs into quality content. Contact us today to have TRG bring your brand’s photo, video, and CGI assets to life.
