サントリー天然水 | 信じられる水の山から（阿蘇） | 2015
A pleasant sense of strangeness elevates 'Living with Water' / Suntory Natural Water "From a Mountain of Water You Can Believe In (Aso)"
There's a moment in the middle of a run of commercials when your eyes suddenly stop on one. It feels off, somehow, but in a good way. This is a spot that depicts natural water springing up from a mountain, drawn in soft, gentle animation.
The insight
Suntory's long-running message "Living with Water" lines up beautifully with the world this animation creates. That pleasant sense of strangeness actually fits the brand's philosophy perfectly.
The idea
The animation was made by Canadian animators Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby. Layered on top of that is the visual world of illustrator Yuko Murata, with Masakatsu Takagi's "Kiki no Ki" playing underneath. Versions were made for each of the three water sources: the Southern Alps, Okudaisen, and Aso.
Afterthought
I always figured animated commercials would start becoming more common around 2013, but oddly enough they never really did. They can reach a wide audience, you don't need to rely on celebrities, and they appeal to kids too. If an ad can stop people in their tracks with a pleasant sense of strangeness like this one does, that alone already makes it wonderful creative work.
