DROPTAIL

The next in
a rebellious line.

Introducing Black Badge Ghost Series II.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars partnered with AKQA’s London studio to unveil Black Badge Ghost Series II, the next formidable alter ego emerging from the darkness. The film, photography and digital story — which incorporates sweeping motion control camera movements — showcase the car’s subversive design with distorted visual effects that amplify the audacious essence of Black Badge.

Role: Design lead / Art Director / 3D.

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Capturing
the details.

We captured unique and distinctive Rolls-Royce details, such as the intricate seat perforations, using macro photography and film. By employing motion-controlled rigs, we were able to create angles and transitions that had previously only been seen in CGI advertisements.

Given Rolls-Royce’s reluctance to CGI, it was essential that all photography and film were shot practically in a studio.

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The concept.

The previous Black Badge campaigns emphasised dark and black visuals. However, for the Black Badge Ghost Series II, we shifted away from this worn aesthetic and instead depicted the car ‘coming out of the darkness.’

The campaign film begins with yellow light — inspired by the car’s yellow accents — piercing through the darkness to reveal its new details. We incorporated a layer of motion throughout the film to reflect the sportier, driver-focused nature of
Black Badge Ghost Series II, creating a visual distinction from the Ghost Series II campaign that ran simultaneously. 

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The process.

Since CGI was not an option for this campaign, it was essential to plan every shot down to the smallest detail prior to the shoot. We recreated the studio in 3D, replicating the lighting and textures of the studio environment in order to understand how the car's features would appear when captured in motion, which proved crucial once we were on set. Additionally, we created a one-minute animatic that closely mirrored the final film.

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Translated to
web & social.

We leveraged our suite of still and video assets to create the car’s product page and dynamic social media content. Each Instagram Story was enhanced with transitions, layouts and text, offering a unique experience for returning viewers.

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