The Backstory
The insurance commercial in question features a computer-generated emu character interacting with actors in real world settings. The emu appears in a series of Progressive insurance commercials alongside the actress Stephanie Courtney, who plays the character Flo.
The emu character was introduced in 2014 and has been featured in dozens of Progressive ads since then. He is known for popping up unexpectedly to highlight Progressive’s insurance offerings. This has led many viewers to wonder – is that actually a real emu? Or is it a CGI creation?
The Emu Character
While the emu in the Progressive commercials looks realistic, he is in fact a computer-generated character, not a real live emu. Here are some key facts about the CGI emu:
– He was created by Animal Logic, an Australian visual effects company that has worked on films like The Lego Movie and Peter Rabbit.
– The character is computer animated to look and move like a real emu. His feathers ruffle in the wind, he bobs his head up and down, and his eyes blink.
– In the commercials, he is digitally inserted into live action scenes with the actress Stephanie Courtney. This makes it look like he is interacting with her and other real human actors.
– The emu’s sounds are provided by animal sound designers to create realistic emu vocals like squawks, booms, and drumming sounds.
– He is given clever situational reactions, like looking shocked at Flo’s statements or comically nodding his head in agreement.
– The emu’s name or backstory is never mentioned in the commercials. He remains an eccentric, speechless character.
So while the emu looks like a real biological emu, he is a carefully crafted CGI persona voiced by animal sounds and given human-like reactions. The special effects wizards are able to make him look like he fits right into the live footage.
Why Use a CGI Emu?
Progressive intentionally chose to create the emu character with CGI rather than use a real emu. There are several reasons why a computer generated emu makes more sense for the commercials:
– It allows them to have full creative control – they can decide exactly how they want the emu to look, move, and react. A real emu can be unpredictable.
– A CGI emu can be placed in any setting seamlessly with digital effects. A real emu can only be filmed in certain conditions.
– Computer animation allows them to give the emu funny, over-the-top reactions and behaviors. A real emu is limited in what it can realistically do.
– There are costs, special requirements and regulations associated with using live animals for films and TV. A CGI emu avoids many of those additional expenses and logistics.
– The emu can appear in risky situations that would be dangerous or unsafe for a living creature. For example, he is shown dodging massive falling objects.
– The creators can make the CGI emu do and say things that would be unrealistic for a real emu, like nod in agreement or go along with Flo’s jokes.
– A CGI character allows for consistency across numerous commercials. The real emu’s looks could vary or it could age.
So in summary, while the emu looks authentic, he is an animated CGI character created by digital artists. This gives the commercial creators maximum flexibility and control over the character for comedic effect.
The Emu in Advertising History
The CGI emu is not the first emu character to be featured prominently in advertising. Emus actually have a long history of appearing in marketing campaigns due to their unique looks and behaviors:
Year | Advertiser | Use of Emu |
---|---|---|
1932 | Standard Oil | Live emu featured in print ads for Opaline Motor Oil |
1950s | Emu Beer | Cartoon emu mascot for Australian beer company |
1964 | Emu Wines | Company named after large Australian bird |
1970s | The Emus | Australian military history satire group dressed as emus |
1983 | Motorcycle touring company | Live emu rode on motorcycle in stunt tour across Australia |
1999 | Federal Express | Ad campaign with men in emu costumes playing office football |
2005 | Red Bull energy drink | Emu farmer commercial about “giving your emus Red Bull” |
2014 | Progressive Insurance | Introduction of CGI emu character interacting with Flo |
As this timeline shows, advertisers have long taken advantage of the emu’s oddball nature to grab consumer attention. Progressive is just the latest in a long tradition of brands utilizing emus to stand out.
Behind the Scenes: Creating a CGI Emu
So how exactly did the visual effects team at Animal Logic create a photorealistic computer generated emu for the Progressive commercials? Here is an inside look at their process:
– They extensively studied reference footage of live emus filmed from multiple angles to understand the anatomy and how an emu naturally looks and moves.
– A 3D model skeleton was created to provide an articulated foundation posing the emu. This determined the underlying body shape and proportions.
– On top of the skeleton, they added muscle definition and fat deposits conforming to real emu physiology. This provided weight, bounce and inertia for the movement.
– Feathers were digitally applied on top of the muscles and fat. Each feather was modeled individually for realistic behavior and reaction to wind and light.
– The facial features like eyes, beak shape and tongue were carefully crafted to allow the emu to show expression and emotion.
– The skin texture and colors were added last to capture details like wrinkles around the neck and light diffusing through the feathers.
– After perfecting the still 3D emu model, rigging was done to make sections movable and flexible for animation. Key frames were blocked out to define the motion.
– Secondary animation added nuance like bobbing head, blinking eyes, shuffling feet and ruffling feathers tied to the primary movement.
– Lighting was set up to match the live action plates and cast realistic shadows across the emu model.
– Feather dynamics and compositing integrated the emu into the shot by accounting for camera movement, depth of field, motion blur and lighting interaction.
The result is an emu character so lifelike that he blends right into the scene alongside the human actors. The effects team’s meticulous model, textures, animation and integration are why the CGI emu looks exactly like the real thing.
Reasons the Emu Makes a Quirky Mascot
After learning about the CGI origins of the emu in the Progressive ads, you may be wondering – why did they choose an emu as their quirky mascot in the first place? Here are some reasons why emus make unique advertising characters:
– Emus have a distinctive, goofy look with long legs, shaggy feathers and inquisitive eyes that grabs attention.
– Their tall stature and long necks give them a good vantage point to observe situations for comedic reaction shots.
– Emus bob their heads up and down when walking, allowing animators to punctuate movements with humorous head bobs.
– They make unusual vocalizations like booming drum sounds, grunts and wheezes that can be played for laughs.
– Emus have a reputation for eccentric behaviors like pecking at shiny objects, stomping their feet and playing with toys, adding childlike whimsy.
– As flightless birds, they don’t flit away from oncoming objects, allowing them to be shown in jeopardy for dramatic or silly effect.
– Their associations with Australia provide a quirky foreign flair. Brands can borrow some Aussie wackiness.
– As a relatively uncommon animal, emus provide novelty without feeling overly commercialized like cats or dogs.
– Emus have a oblivious, happy-go-lucky demeanor that jives well with slapstick physical comedy situations.
So in summary, the emu’s natural attributes like appearance, sound, movement and temperament lend themselves well to creating an amusing, lighthearted advertising character. The emu inherently has many traits of a good comedic bird sidekick.
Public Reception and Impact of the Emu Ads
Since being introduced in 2014, the CGI emu has become a pop culture icon appearing in dozens of Progressive television commercials and web ads. Overall the emu has been well received by audiences:
– The ads have over 150 million overall views on YouTube, indicating their popularity and reach.
– Marketing surveys show the emu ads test well for likeability, engagement and brand recall.
– The emu character earned Progressive the distinction of being the most effective insurance advertiser in unaided brand awareness.
– Stephanie Courtney credits the emu for helping double Flo’s positive audience recognition after his introduction.
– The emu’s antics and cartoonish reactions tend to be highlighted in media coverage of the ads.
– Viewers respond positively to the emu’s humorous non-verbal behavior and relatable confusion at Flo’s exuberance.
– Fans have created tribute songs, memes and social media accounts celebrating the beloved oddball emu.
So the likeable CGI emu has clearly resonated with audiences and achieved his purpose of drawing attention to Progressive insurance. He has been an unconventional but highly successful ad mascot thanks to his quirky emu charm.
Conclusion
The emu featured in Progressive’s ongoing series of television commercials is not actually a live emu, but rather a computer-generated character created by visual effects company Animal Logic. While the emu looks incredibly realistic through the magic of CGI, he is an animated virtual emu conceived by Progressive to serve as a hilarious foil to actress Stephanie Courtney’s bubbly character Flo.
This digitally crafted emu follows in a long tradition of advertisers incorporating real and fictional emus to grab consumer attention thanks to their eccentric qualities. Progressive’s emu demonstrates that while a live emu would be impractical for a recurring TV campaign, a CGI emu can be the perfect balance of realism, ridiculousness and charm. So next time you see the emu pop up in a Progressive ad, remember he is an animator’s art brought to life through 1’s and 0’s!