The latest campaign for Lipton Iced Tea by DDB London, Sonny London Productions and the multi-awarded London/New York-based VFX studio, Absolute, raises the bar for sheer aesthetics in a transformative visual effect.

Shot on location in South Africa under the creative directorship of Nick Bell, the campaign's plot starts predictably enough. A beautiful young woman walks the city streets on a hot day drinking Lipton Iced Tea. What happens next, her transformation into a living embodiment of Lipton's three ingredients - water, tea leaves and sunshine, is a triumph of creative production.

Absolute EP Andrew Swepson said that when Sonny London sought them out for the pitch, it represented such an interesting challenge they couldn't turn it down.
"We jumped in to help develop the treatment, and then, once DDB accepted our pitch, we remained fully engaged from R&D to final cut. This, our umpteenth collaboration with Sonny London, is a perfect example of the strong relationships Absolute has cultivated over the years that ensure us a steady stream of intriguing projects," he said.

After a month of R&D, Absolute spent two and a half months working in multiple Flame suites. To create the alternate body, the figure was modelled in 3D and simulated RealFlow animated water was created to stream through her body. Upon the receipt of the graded rushes, the 3D model was animated to match her movements. The actress was then painted out of all VFX shots and comped the animated character. Further elements of water and leaves were then comped, finishing each shot with 2D effects to create the sunlight elements.

Absolute's lead flame artist, Phil Oldham, said the challenge had been to develop a look for the character that read clearly as being water, tea leaves and sunshine, whilst retaining emotion and humanity.
"We solved the problem by subtly introducing the live-action performance back into the CG model in key performance shots. By combining this with precise match-moving we were able to develop a unique and interesting look that conveys a strong performance," he said.