Produced in collaboration with Nick Dodet of PIG China, and Barry Greaves of Mill Shanghai/Heckler TV. The spot hinges around a key visual designed by Chinese street-art duo L+L (Ikky Lin and Lve Wang), which features a majestic winged horse whose dynamic lines and vibrant colour embody a message of unity, courage, and forward momentum. Designed to lift spirits and kick off the year at full charge, the horse transformation becomes a symbol of soaring potential, showing audiences that with enough collaboration, anyone can take the reins and rise above.
To animate L+L’s intricate line-driven artwork efficiently and faithfully, Kong Animation Studio turned to Moho animation software, which allowed the team to rig the wings with built-in complex line work. The result is a commercial that doesn’t just move, it takes off.
This collaboration between Kong Animation Studio, Nick Dodet of PIG China, and Barry Greaves of Heckler TV highlights the power of collective creativity. When the right partners come together, the work doesn’t just run smoothly, it flies.
[The team] brought a wonderful sense of artistry and craft to the project, enhancing the visuals with creative ideas and a careful attention to detail. The collaboration was smooth and genuinely enjoyable, and their work gave the film energy and cohesion, elevating it as a whole.”
Bursting with colour, movement, and cultural symbolism, the commercial captures the uplifting spirit of the Lunar New Year. With each frame, the animated winged horse gallops between grounded authenticity and sky-bound fantasy, reminding viewers that the Year of the Horse is all about momentum and magic.
The commercial brings together a global herd of creative talent, proving that teamwork truly helps a project spread its wings.
“The process of making this wonderful film for Shiseido was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. I’m so proud to have been part of this fantastic team. I’m grateful that Barry Greaves and the rest of the guys at the Mill made it such a smooth process. The creative was clear and collaborative. The team at Kong are always great to work with. My dear friend Bill Elliot was a guide, sounding board and voice of reason throughout. Emma Burch deserves all the credit for balancing the many specific elements that had to come together to make these horses really fly. A huge shout is needed for the immensely talented hero of animation Tim Watts, as well as the skills and hard work of of Rosa Beiroa, Judit Boor, Giullia Chen and Lucja Wolowska keeping real 2D animation and tradition skills very much alive with a bold look that really flies!”
PIG China
Nick Dodet
Jeanette Haw
Mill Shanghai/Heckler TV.
Barry Greaves
Gary Zou
Lily Li
Jamie Loudon
A Kong Animation Studio production
Director: Oliver Smyth
Creative Director: Bill Elliott
Animation Supervisor: Tom Baker
Horse Animators: Tim Watts, Rosa Beiroa
Wing Animation: Dave Cockburn
Moho Development: Oscar Cottle
Clean Up & Colour: Natasha Pollack, Giulia Chen
Character Development: Matt Partridge
Background Design: Judit Boor, Maxwell Oginni
Technical Director: Lucja Wolowska
Producer: Emma Burch
