IF! // Uncomfortable

IF! Italians Festival is the flagship event of the Italian advertising world.
It is held once a year and in addition to interesting speeches, round tables and masterclasses, it hosts the ADCI Awards, the awards ceremony for the best communication campaigns organized by the Italian Art Directors Club. An event therefore of maximum attention and appeal for the Italian and International public.
Every year the challenge of the Festival is represented by a message. The 2019 edition proposed “STAY UNCOMFORTABLE” and Proxima Milano has chosen to take care of the Video ID of the Festival following as much…”uncomfortably”…as possible the indications provided by this concept.

But what does IF mean by “Stay Uncomfortable”?
It’s a fragmented world we live in. With an ever more complex landscape and a target who couldn’t get more granular, communication has never been harder but it has also never been this exciting. It pushes us out of our comfort zone, creating new perspectives in which stories become experiences and brands living organisms that move in a non-linear way. Failing is easy, winning is about taking the hard road, making bold choices, and venturing to the unknown. But isn’t this what creativity is about? So, come on in and make yourself uncomfortable. The journey’s just begun.

IF! (ltalians Festival) as “if” (conjunction). What happens if we change perspective, if we risk, if we are brave?
For the Video ID and in particular for the initials of IF! 2019 we decided to start with a conventional vision of the logo and then dive into the material itself of the colors and pigments that compose it. A total change of perspective able to visually tell the creative and storytelling process.

Being uncomfortable also means looking beyond appearance and never being afraid to change our point of view. The choice of an absolutely unconventional music compared to the event and the challenge launched to the public in “karaoke” mode, represent the icing on one sweet-and-sour cake at the right point.

To develop the project we decides to use a mix of real macro shots of colors, motion graphics and CG3D elements. The visual result of this mix of techniques will be particularly effective on the huge screen that has now become a true IF icon.

The music and in particular the lyrics in Chinese language (subtitled using the “pinyin”, the phonetic transcription) will be the main element of our concept. A meshup of different rhythms and styles to support the Editing style and the variety of images.

The challenge that we launch to the public of the IF is therefore a very special Karaoke to try to “be uncomfortable” by putting themselves to the test and pushing the mind towards distant horizons, different cultures and languages of communication … to searching for new forms of inspiration.

Concept & Creative Direction: Claudio Falconi
Music Supervision: Marco Iannelli

Production: Proxima Milano
VFX&Motion Design: Proxima Milano
VFX Executive producer: Andrea Masera
VFX Supervisor: Claudio Falconi
VFX Producer: Daniele Biglia
Motion Graphic Designer: Darko Prolic
CG3D: Nicola Danese, Valentina Arcelloni, Federico Gnoni
Programmer: Riccardo Gemelli, Davide Mensi
Finishing: Amin Ali
Data Lab: Pasquale Vadalà

Music composed and arranged by: Marco Iannelli
Music Producer: Lorna Chan
Lyrics by: Miriam Ma
Vocals: Miriam Ma 馬晧敏
Drums, Bass and Electric Guitars: Jun Kung 恭碩良
Additional Electric Guitar: Chris Collins
Piano and Keyboards: Marco Iannelli
Vocals recorded at CMC Studio (Hong Kong) by: Chris Collins
Drums and guitars recorded at AREA 22 (Hong Kong) by: Jun Kung
Mixed by: Paolo Iafelice at ADESIVA DISCOGRAFICA (Milano)

WHAT WE PASSIONATELY DID:
Concept Design / Art Direction / Shooting / Motion Graphic / Sound / Finishing