Every view of the ad brings a smile on your face (according to Aardman, regarding the Thatcher's Juicy Apple ad)

Cruisin' through the animation world, you've likely encountered Aardman's Wallace, Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and the like. But did ya know 'bout Aardman's forty-year heritage crafting quirky, inventive, and memorably cracktacular commercials for the boob tube? Check out our rundown of their top ten fan-freakin'-tastic Aardman ads to get some inspiration!

Recently, Aardman's dropped another one – the debut of their latest advert for Thatcher's boozy juice, Juicy Apple Cider. This fruity number showcases vibrant 2D animation with a refreshing handmade look, perfect for hot summer days (or frosty winter nights, ya never know!). Don't miss our list of the best ads ever and the best animation tools to get yer imaginative juices flowin'!

We chatted with the masterminds behind the Juicy Apple Cider ad, Dan Binns (director) and Joseph Bell (producer), to learn why they decided to shake things up and create a unique style for this piece.

"The previous ones were stop motion," Dan noted, "and were as realistically detailed as possible… but for this product, it seemed reasonable to do something a bit different. The artwork and packaging were all different from the main Thatcher's product, so we had some room to play. They were thinking of a few different things, but 2D seemed most appropriate for this commercial."

Joe recalled that "Dan started the whole thing with single-frame illustrations and design keyframes showing moments from the ad, which gave us the base. We kept iterating on that – the color of the cider, the fizz – and once we had the design frames, we did a rough animatic to get the timings."

To figure out the finest execution, Aardman collaborated with ad agency Bray Leino to work out the story beats. "The core idea of a graphical journey through the world of the product was there from the beginning, but then it was more about teasing out the finer execution and adding moments of magic," Dan mentioned.

"The packaging of the new product has a graphic style," Dan added, "there's only an apple and a leaf, but it implies something different from previous Thatcher's projects. We started off with being very graphic and then we went very real and then pulled back to something a bit more graphic."

Aardman was all about adding character and charm to the production, playing up the sustainability behind the product, like using sun-soaked apples and solar panels to create the drink. "Thatcher's was really keen that it was all about the process, and we came up with a concept where Nature plays a big part in the creation of the juice apple."

The new Juicy Apple Cider commercial boasts a mix of styles to breathe life into the animated world. "It effectively began as a 2D project with a handcrafted feel, but we ended up needing a bit more camera perspective and 3D objects, so we used a combo of 3D objects and traditional 2D in After Effects with hand-drawn animations created on an iPad," Dan explained.

"We tried to keep that mixture so that you don't see the workings too much," Dan said, "and we animated on threes to give it a stylized, handmade touch that shines through the animation."

Joe noted that "We had a few plug-ins we played with and tried a couple of approaches, and we landed on something really cool and energetic. We also aimed to keep our hands dirty, which helped make the commercial feel authentic."

The final result is sure to win ya over each time you watch it. "There are moments you might miss, like a dog in a beer garden," Joe said, "and there's a sense of life in the ad that makes it stand out."

If ya want to bring your own vision to life, peep our picks for the best animation software! For more ad news, check out Nintendo's epic Paul Rudd Switch 2 ad!

The new Juicy Apple Cider commercial, crafted by Aardman, presents a vibrant 2D animation style with a handmade feel, ideal for both hot summer days and frosty winter nights.
The opportunity to work on a project with a unique style drew Dan Binns, the director, and Joseph Bell, the producer, to the Juicy Apple Cider ad.
Dan Binns began the Juicy Apple Cider project with single-frame illustrations and design keyframes, which provided the basis for the production.
Collaborating with ad agency Bray Leino, Aardman worked out the story beats for the Juicy Apple Cider commercial, focusing on a graphical journey through the world of the product and adding moments of magic.
Aardman aimed to add character and charm to the production, emphasizing the sustainability behind the product such as using sun-soaked apples and solar panels to create the drink.
In order to create a mixed style, the Juicy Apple Cider commercial combined 3D objects and traditional 2D animation in After Effects with hand-drawn animations created on an iPad.
The final Juicy Apple Cider commercial offers a blend of styles to breathe life into the animated world, while maintaining a stylized, handmade touch through animation on threes.
Ad plug-ins and experimentation were utilized to achieve the cool and energetic final result, with an aim to keep the workings minimal and the commercial authentic.
The commercial's unique blend of styles, subtle details, and energetic feel makes it stand out, showcasing Aardman's creativity, innovative spirit, and dedication to crafting high-quality movie-and-TV-inspired work in the realm of entertainment and design.

Every view of the ad brings a smile on your face (according to Aardman, regarding the Thatcher's Juicy Apple ad)