Malaria No More

dentsuACHTUNG! 2021-04-12

The “Draw The Line Against Malaria” campaign is a movement urging people around the world to come together and demand urgent action from world leaders to beat malaria – the world’s oldest disease, and one that keeps stopping children from going to school, families from earning a living and perpetuating the cycle of poverty, especially in Africa.Created by DentsuACHTUNG! for the Malaria No More NGO, the campaign’s first action was a 1m50s film featuring a host of high-level global talent and celebrities from Africa. The film has a recurring visual motif that reflects the overall graphic identity of the campaign, based on an artwork created by Láolú Senbanjo, a Nigerian born, Brooklyn-based visual artist whose creations draw from Yoruba patterns and Nigerian symbols.As a companion to the live action film, LOBO was tasked with bringing Láolú’s artwork – an intricate pattern that intertwines abstract and figurative imagery symbolizing the multiple fronts in the war against malaria – to life in a different way, using a mix of animation techniques.We started by creating a series of bold, black-and-white 2D animations based on Láolú’s pattern. Those graphics were then applied onto the skin and clothing of a series of 3D human characters, flowing across them like living tattoos or tribal paintings while the camera performs slow, smooth moves that follow the visual story as it unfolds in tandem with the VO – provided by the beautiful, commanding voice of Nigerian singer and actress Yemi Alade, which is paired with the impressive sound design work of Antfood Studio to create a deeply engaging sonic atmosphere.The pattern eventually spreads throughout the whole environment, symbolizing the world coming together in the mission to put an end to malaria – a mission that we are honored to be a part of. Here at LOBO we are constantly in search of meaningful work that could have a positive impact on the world, so we are thankful to Malaria No More and DentsuACHTUNG! for this opportunity and for the openness of everyone involved in the project, who let us try new processes and fresh ideas and watch them grow into the final film.