A Beaver Finds His Dreams A Home
We teamed up with agency McCann New York and the New York State Gaming Commission to produce a new :30 spot in partnership with HGTV’s “My Lottery Dream Home.” Directed by Martin Jalfen, and featuring a charming CG-crafted beaver from VFX studio Hinge, “Title” takes audiences on a magical journey into Steve R. Beaver’s world, who scratches off a winner and makes his dream home a reality. This campaign will run from April 10th to June 4th across broadcast, social, OOH, print, and digital.
Although Steve's humble abode made of logs, twigs, and mud is well-loved, it's evident that he's been thinking about his dream home, as indicated by the newspaper clipping hanging by the stove. He settles into his rocking chair for some TV time and flips to an episode of "My Lottery Dream Home" on HGTV, triggering an "aha" moment that sends him scurrying downtown (dwarfed by human pedestrians), to purchase a lottery ticket. Neon lens flares signal his excitement as his eyes widen. The scene flashes forward, and Steve is shown holding the newspaper clipping of his dream home. He lowers it to reveal that he's actually standing in front of it. We have a winner!
Jalfen conceived the richly immersive world in which Steve dreams with a highly visual, character-driven approach. From the beaver's life-like hair to his meticulously art-directed home to the exterior forest shots, every detail worked to make his story feel tangible and, above all, humanly relatable.
“Steve may be a beaver, but we can all relate to his desires and dreams,” says Jalfen. “He’s a symbol of hustling, hard-working New Yorkers, a kind everyman who is not to be pitied — just someone with a few unfulfilled dreams and things to fix around the house. This emotional truth is at the heart of our story.”
Working closely with the team at Hinge, Jalfen blended live-action and CGI, striking a balance between the fantastical and the real. Small deviations from reality, such as Steve's forward-facing eyes, give him charm and expressiveness without appearing cartoonish.
"Not only is Steve a super charismatic beaver, his movements and actions are so relatable and believable that you're able to connect with him and understand his emotions, where Hinge deserves a ton of credit for their astounding VFX work,” explains Jalfen.
The visual concept extended to the interior of Steve’s home, with a mash-up of log-made furniture and mid-century appliances. The scratches and bite marks on the furnishings suggest he has lived there a long time and built it all with his own two buck teeth. Warm, golden lighting creates a cozy atmosphere inside Steve’s home, contrasted by the rich, earthy tones of the rainy New York forest in Spring.
“We painstakingly flourished his home with keepsakes and bric-a-bracs — a mosaic of Steve’s story and current situation, with the clipping of his dream serving as the most crucial visual cue,” says Jalfen.
Looking to capture a countryside feel reminiscent of small towns in New York, Jalfen and the REVERSE crew shot in real locations throughout the Empire State. Meanwhile, the cinematography changes in scale, shifting from the stillness inside Steve's home to more kinetic framing when he goes to a neighboring town to buy a lottery ticket and, finally, back to stillness at the end. Shooting at the beaver’s eye level added to the effect, creating a sense of immersion, while medium and close-up shots added texture. The edit mirrors the pacing of the cinematography, which adopts a slower tempo in the opening, with rapid-fire edits leading to the big reveal.
“McCann presented us with a concept and script that we fell in love with — a timeless, emotionally-driven story that deserved a visual aesthetic of equal magnitude and magic,” adds Thibaut Estellon, Founder/EP of REVERSE. “Martin's mixed-media vision achieved just that, with organic cinematography and art direction that grounded Hinge's stellar VFX with a sense of place that feels enchanting yet authentic to New York.”
Digital One composed an original score to shape the story’s emotional arc. They also brought in ambient noise and sound effects like water, wind, and rain to sonically enrich the story, while punctuating other key moments with silence.
“Hinge, McCann, and my amazing crew at REVERSE were all remarkable collaborators in bringing our beaver’s story to life,” concludes Jalfen. “Everyone poured their hearts into every moment of this film, and I couldn't be more thrilled with how it turned out."
Read more about it on ADWEEK, SHOTS, LITTLE BLACK BOOK.
