Producing a product commercial before the product was finished
A skin-care advertisement needs to show the product clearly, especially in close-ups where the label, packaging and materials fill the frame. But product launches and video production schedules don’t always line up with final packaging approvals.
In 2021, Myaderm was preparing a new CBD skin hydration product for national retailers and needed a connected TV commercial. Its packaging artwork was still in progress. The production also took place during the pandemic, with a distributed team and on-set safety protocols, and the schedule left about eight weeks from the first production meeting to the final cut.
A partner agency had developed the script and brought SLIDEFACTORY in for production. We storyboarded and shot the live-action material, built the unfinished product as a 3D model, and combined the footage, renders and motion graphics into the commercial. The digital product model also supported still images for print and retail use.
Planning for the shots we could not film
The script came from the partner agency, and we needed to translate it into a practical production plan within an eight-week window. We developed mood boards and storyboards that distinguished live-action scenes from the close-up product shots that would be rendered. The agency and client reviewed the plan before filming.
That division mattered because Myaderm’s final packaging wasn’t ready. The live-action footage could show the product in use, while the digital version would provide the tightly controlled jar and label views needed for the commercial.
Building the product in 3D
Using early samples and unfinished label artwork, we modeled, lit and rendered the hydration product for the close-up scenes. As the packaging artwork changed, we updated the model and rendered new shots rather than reshooting physical product footage.
The same 3D work also supplied high-resolution product stills for print and retail. The commercial and accompanying stills were different deliverables made from the same modeled asset.
Shooting, editing and finishing
The live-action shoot took place in mid-September 2021 with pandemic safety measures in place. We then assembled the footage, selected voiceover takes, integrated the rendered scenes and animated the titles and closing graphics. A rough cut went to the agency and client in early October, with the final product renders incorporated later that month.
The completed connected TV spot was delivered by the end of October, about eight weeks after the first production meeting. Versions were prepared for several national retailers, using the same production materials with retailer-specific adjustments.
A finished spot before the packaging was final
By the end of October 2021, Myaderm had its connected TV commercial, variations for national retailers and high-resolution product imagery for print and retail. We delivered the production in roughly eight weeks while working with packaging artwork that was still changing.
The decision to build the jar in 3D carried through the entire project. It gave us the close-up shots the commercial needed and let us update labels in the renders without another product shoot. Together with the live-action footage and motion graphics, those assets provided the finished campaign materials the partner agency and Myaderm needed for the product launch.
