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CGI—Computer-Generated Imagery—is a powerful technology that allows you to create realistic animated models of people, objects, or places using computer graphics. This technique can be used to produce 3D models, photorealistic images, and drawings used in renderings, videos, VR, and AR technologies.
CGI graphics are typically used in three scenarios:
- To visualise the impossible: CGI can bring imaginary scenes to life, such as a lamppost adorned with flowers or a giant cheese rolling through the city.
- To combine disparate elements: CGI can seamlessly blend real-world elements, like the Statue of Liberty and a Burger King burger, into a single image.
- To reduce production costs: Instead of filming on location in the Seychelles, a CGI specialist can create a realistic digital beach environment, saving time and money.
While CGI was once primarily used to create movie universes and fantasy characters, today the technology has expanded beyond cinema, revolutionising the approach to visual content across various industries. CGI is widely used in games, advertising, web design, marketing, and content creation to produce more extraordinary, engaging, and memorable visuals.
CGI history: from film to digital marketing
The history of CGI began in the 1950s, when it became possible to create animated patterns on computers. Alfred Hitchcock was one of the first to use this technology in his 1958 film, Vertigo.
As computers became more powerful and accessible, filmmakers increasingly turned to CGI. For example, the special effects in Futureworld (1976) and Star Wars (1977) were created using computer graphics. Spaceships, planets, and laser beams—all non-existent or inaccessible in real life—were brought to life through CGI.
CGI technology has not only enabled the creation of fantastical worlds but also allowed for the performance of impossible stunts and the design of incredible characters. Jurassic Park (1993) is a prime example, showcasing incredibly realistic dinosaurs created through computer animation.
Here’s another striking example: remember the 1954 film “Godzilla“? The huge monster was a hand puppet and a suit. However, in the 2016 film, Godzilla was created using CGI, appearing much more realistic and terrifying.
Today, CGI is used extensively in filmmaking, not only to create characters, scenes, and special effects but also to alter actors’ appearances, as seen in “The Irishman,” where Robert De Niro’s character was digitally de-aged. CGI has also replaced stunt performers in dangerous situations.
Beyond film, CGI is widely used in advertising. Commercials often employ CGI to create product renderings, 3D elements, or virtual sets.
While CGI was once a complex and expensive technology, it’s now accessible to a wider audience. We see its influence in games, branding, and social media. In fact, social media has played a significant role in popularising CGI.
4 reasons why brands should use CGI
- WOW effect and increased brand awareness
CGI graphics allow you to implement almost any idea, no matter how crazy. This significantly increases the chances of capturing viewers’ attention. JACQUEMUS’s social media content is a prime example. From towering chairs to giant lemons falling from the sky, their CGI-powered videos have garnered millions of views and significantly boosted brand recognition.
- Budget savings
While CGI production requires a skilled team, it often proves more cost-effective than traditional filming methods. Instead of travelling to exotic locations or building elaborate sets, CGI specialists can create realistic environments and scenarios digitally.
- Realistic product demonstration
CGI enables realistic product demonstrations, particularly for products that haven’t been manufactured yet, such as real estate developments or new product designs. High-quality CGI visuals can significantly enhance a product’s marketing appeal.
- Ethical considerations
CGI can also be used ethically to replace people or animals in situations where real-world filming might be harmful or impractical. For instance, a CGI tiger can be used in an advertisement instead of a real one, ensuring animal welfare. With advanced CGI techniques, it can be difficult to distinguish between real and computer-generated images.
CGI vs. Real-World Capture
Typically, a whole team works on CGI projects. The size and structure of the team can vary slightly depending on the project’s complexity.
A typical CGI project involves a team of specialists who work through the following stages:
- Scenario: Developing the concept, writing the script, and creating a storyboard.
- 3D Modelling: Constructing digital models of objects and characters.
- Texturing and Lighting: Applying textures and materials to models
- Details and Lighting schemes: Setting up lighting conditions and adding final details.
- Animation and Rendering: Animating the models and generating high-quality images or videos.
- Post-production: Compositing elements, adding sound effects, and applying final touches.
While CGI production can be complex, it offers significant advantages over traditional methods:
- Speed: For a traditional photo or video shoot, you need to find models, scout locations, rent a studio, prepare props, and hire a team of professionals including set designers, lighting technicians, camera operators, photographers, and retouchers. CGI allows you to avoid many of these stages and complete the task in a shorter time frame with a smaller team.
- Cost-effectiveness: A whole team can also work on creating a CGI video, but it will be significantly smaller than a team involved in traditional photo or video shooting. The reduced need for props, studios, lighting equipment, and cameras can lead to significant cost savings for the brand.
- Flexibility: CGI enables for highly flexible visual content creation. It can be adapted to various formats and resolutions, personalised, and modified with ease, including changes to textures, colours, and lighting schemes, all without incurring additional costs.
Viral Advertising: How CGI Increases Engagement
CGI videos made a significant impact a few years ago, revolutionising the approach to visual content. In 2024, they’ve become so popular that it’s difficult to imagine a brand not using this technology to create eye-catching, memorable, and viral content.
Today, the most popular CGI videos often blend the real world with impossible elements. These videos are particularly captivating when the CGI is so seamless that viewers question whether it’s real or computer-generated.
JACQUEMUS
A striking example of successful and viral digital marketing is JACQUEMUS. The brand launched its first video with CGI content back in 2023: then, instead of trams, the fashion house’s handbags “drove” along the streets of Paris. The advertisement immediately took off: users shared the content, and world fashion publications retold the case. From that moment on, JACQUEMUS’s digital campaigns became even bolder, brighter, and more imaginative. With the help of CGI, the brand creates entire virtual worlds: giant refrigerators filled with bags shivering from the cold, mountain chalets with snow caps in the shape of iconic bags on the roofs, and huge cherries covering the entire first floor of the brand’s boutique.
Each video garners millions of views and thousands of comments, captivating users with creative ideas, vibrant visuals, boldness, and the brand’s unique vision.
L’Oreal, Maybelline, Kérastase
Cosmetic brands often resort to CGI creatives.
For example, to advertise their new mascara, Maybelline created a vehicle with eyelashes combed by a giant brush. And in a L’Oréal video, a giant red lipstick applies road markings to the streets of Paris using a brush. In another video, Kérastase bestseller products are locked in a slot machine.
Oreo
CGI videos starring food are also breaking all view records.
Oreo recently launched an advertising campaign in which giant chocolate cookies transformed into amazing spaceships that landed in different parts of the world: in Rome, in the USA, in the UK. The videos collected millions of views and thousands of comments. Users wondered what the brand was trying to say with them: perhaps this was an announcement of new flavours? Or a warm-up for a large-scale collaboration? And although the videos were no longer than 15 seconds, the level of engagement they demonstrated was very high.
Epica
The yogurt brand Epica has built most of its content on the use of CGI. In Epica’s pictures and videos, yogurts appear in movie theaters, travel the world, act in films, fly into space, perform in circuses, and even skate. Detailed settings, complex compositions, and first-class animation all invariably attract attention to the product. And close-ups of yogurts and their ingredients seem to convey the taste of the product through the screen.
Barbie
The advertising campaign for the 2023 hit movie “Barbie” was incredible: the team used all possible channels, platforms, and methods of communicating with the audience. This included CGI creatives: one video featured a giant Barbie emerging from her pink box near the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai. This video garnered millions of views, reposts, and comments, significantly boosting interest in the film.
Several Words In Conclusion
CGI has evolved into an indispensable tool for modern digital marketing, enabling the creation of more engaging, dynamic, and interactive content. Its flexibility allows for rapid adaptation and personalization, aligning perfectly with the growing trend of tailored experiences.
As virtual and augmented reality technologies gain traction, CGI plays a crucial role in creating immersive digital experiences, such as virtual fitting rooms and interactive product showcases.
By crafting compelling narratives and visually stunning content, CGI helps brands capture audience attention and leave a lasting impression.
Given the rapid advancement of technology and the increasing competition for consumer attention, brands must embrace CGI to stay ahead of the curve.
