From Scissors to Screen
What insane, groundbreaking technology did we use for our latest Monster spots? Howabout…scissors!
Directors Angela Campos and Isabella Teague knew that to capture the attention of Gen Z, a generation with low trust in institutions and a high BS detector, we needed something undeniably human.
They created a raw honest reflection of finding a career that aligns with your values. All with a unique, absolutely AWESOME handmade approach! Here’s how:
The Trust Strategy: Knowing this audience often trusts a friend or an online peer more than a massive institution, we built a narrative that feels like a shared experience.
Hand-Crafted Animation: Parts of the spot were printed on basic inkjet printers, cut out with scissors, and animated by hand.
Collaging FTW: We used collaging and cutouts to create a visual language that felt human and tactile, rather than manufactured.
The Rollercoaster: We didn't shy away from the taxing parts of the search—including the rejection and the hitting the wall moments. We bullet a narrative hook around those relatable feelings to ensure the winning moment at the end truly paid off.
Check out the full interview on how these spots came to life below! 👇
Transcript below:
Gaelan: Printing it out, cutting it out with scissors. There were people cutting out parts of this by hand and doing animation that way?
Angela: Yes. Parts of it were printed out on the printer, ink jet, super basic.
Gaelan: That's insane. Visually, they're so unique. Can you talk us through what the strategy was behind these spots?
Angela: Monster came to us with a complete rebrand. Also looking to launch a platform for Gen Z job seekers. In terms of the insight, Gen Z isn't just looking for a job, they're looking for alignment.
Gaelan: Smart.
Angela: Yes. Thank you. They also have very little trust in institutions and are more so inclined to trust a friend, someone they see online, etc.
Gaelan: That's awesome. How did that tie into which direction you took this visually? Building out the script?
Angela: So in terms of how the script was structured, my co-director on this project, Isabella, was massively influential in this regard, also with the visuals. It was about showcasing the actual emotional roller coaster of the job hunt, going through the recruitment process, who you're looking towards to get information and assistance. That narrative is interplaying in the spot itself.
Gaelan: How do you even design an animation style like this? It's so unique. It has so much character. What was that process like?
Angela: It was super interesting. I think one of the first things we looked at was using cutouts to frame the experience of what going through a job search is like. So both emotionally, how taxing it can be and in the end how delightful the moment is when you land the right fit through Monster. A lot of work in collaging, a lot of figuring out what the visual language was going to be, but also making sure everything we created had that handmade touch.
Gaelan: That's awesome. You obviously tapped into the core of what their brand identity is, but also moved it in such an interesting, compelling direction. Was it hard to sell this in and what was that process like?
Angela: I wouldn't say it was hard to sell in per say. They were already on board with a different approach and a bold approach. I think the challenge was showcasing the real aspects of job hunting. For example, in the beginning we start with this interview and then we see the person break out into tears. We felt that that was necessary to really hit that sweet spot of rejection that comes sometimes when you are looking for a job and just hitting the wall. So we needed to make that clear in order for the winning moment at the end to really pay off.
Gaelan: It's an incredible hook and it's one of the coolest visual spots that we've ever done at Quirk. So kudos to you and the team.