- Agency: ONE23WEST
- Client: University of British Columbia
- Category: Video Design — Animation
- Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Project Brief: Create an animated campaign that communicates UBC’s wildfire research and its commitment to helping communities prepare for future risks.
An animation succeeds when its style does as much talking as the script. UBC's "Push Forward," made by ONE23WEST under creative direction from Bruce Alcock of Global Mechanic, pulls that off with a frame-by-frame approach that gives wildfire research a tactile, organic feel.
The mixed-media style does the heavy lifting. The hand-crafted animation keeps abstract ideas like forecasting and resilience approachable, while stylized landscapes, data overlays, and community scenes stay universal rather than tied to one place.
The color pulls double duty too. Earthy greens, fiery oranges, and calming blues hold both the danger of wildfires and the hope of resilience, and minimal type keeps the focus on the storytelling.
The pacing stays tight. In 30 seconds it builds from the problem, wildfires as a year-round threat, to UBC's proactive research and community partnerships, and the meticulous handmade detail mirrors the kind of patient, exacting work a century-old research university wants to stand for.
