In this bizarre and light-hearted spot we see a CG, photoreal hybrid creature swim and dive in and out of a CG sea scape before flying into an other-wordly CG space environment. The hybrid creature is half sloth and half dolphin, officially named a ‘dolph-a-sloth’.

The piece begins with a happy, frolicking dolphin jumping in and out of the sea as it enjoys roaming for free. The dolphin suddenly stops in his tracks, deflated as his data roaming allowance runs out.

However, before long, the top half of the disappointed dolphin transforms into a satisfied sloth gliding through the air, binging on an infinite amount of data.

The initial sea setting of the ad transforms into a space-like world filled with rainbow hues, mirroring the transition of this hybrid creature as a nod to the unrestricted nature of Three’s data offering.

The key challenge for this project was to create an instantly likable, albeit unusual character that the viewer can fall in love with. In order to achieve this, the creature had to be characterful but with enough authenticity to make his performance believable to the audience.

The animators worked to refine every detail of the CG character and the fully CG environments it inhabits. Another challenge was to seamlessly blend the detailed fur groom of the sloth with the smooth wet look of the dolphin's tail.

The lighting direction was key to get the best from the character. The height and angle of the sun was vital in ensuring the dolph-a-sloth looked as realistic as possible, balancing a 'real-world' look and a 'beauty' lighting set up.

The water simulation aspect of the spot was also hugely challenging, utilising the latest hardware and software to create the unique twinkling aesthetic.