The Bridge has engaged Sixty40 to showcase one of Australia’s iconic classic ice-creams and to conjure up an Aussie summer atmosphere.

Now new on air across the nation, the 15 second commercial promotes the Bulla Splits "Let’s Split' This Summer" promotion.

Sixty40’s brief was to create a 15 second TVC, and to redesign the existing characters and bring them to life in several settings from a sweltering typical Australian backyard to the refreshing surf of the Gold Coast.

"The first challenge was to create a uniquely Australian, yet modern family and environment," says Sixty40 creative director Mark Simpson.

"We wanted them to feel familiar and real to support the script. The Australian backyard is an image burnt into the subconscious of every Australian so this came quite naturally, and luckily one of our designers has just moved from the Gold Coast, so we had in-house consultancy about the final scene."

One of the greatest challenges of the commercial was to tell a detailed story within the 15 second duration whilst leaving enough time to show off the product.

Matt Taylor, animation director at Sixty40 explains that the animation techniques used take the viewer through progressive emotions before bursting into ‘Splits happiness’ on a Gold Coast beach.

"We created a hazy summery mood and then transitioned the viewer, using dynamic frosty ice-cream shots, into the cool summer relief of Queensland’s beaches. The spot leaves you thirsty for a cool frosty Split, so mission accomplished."

The characters were built in 3D but rendered with an illustrated aesthetic. To fit into the "heat of the day", everything was shaded with gradients and a bright strong summer key light framed the characters to allow for them pop out from the scene.

To view the spot click here.