In a homage to this year’s Olympics taking place in Tokyo, Japan, the anime-styled commercial depicts the struggle to save Taco Bell Nacho Fries from evil forces
Taco Bell’s latest spot ‘Fry Force’, created by production powerhouse Psyop in collaboration with advertising agency Deutsch, premiered today during the Opening Ceremonies for the 2021 Summer Olympics.
In a homage to this year’s Olympics taking place in Tokyo, Japan, the anime-styled commercial depicts the struggle to save the brand’s Nacho Fries from evil forces. Playing like a short film, director Luca Vitale worked with Psyop to design the animation project, which was completed in just nine weeks, from start to finish.
“For this specific piece, we really wanted to play to the tropes. There was the mandate to be dramatic and classic, but it’s about Nacho Fries,” said Vitale. “There is drama juxtaposed to the silliness. Getting to work with Psyop and make this creation come to life has been one of the most rewarding collaborations of my career. I’m extremely thrilled to officially join Psyop’s roster of other talented directors.”
Born and raised in Milan, Italy, Luca Vitale is currently based in Tokyo, Japan, spending time yearly in both New York and Tokyo. His knowledge and passion for Japanese culture led him to create the vision for the anime genre inspired commercial for Taco Bell. Vitale officially joins Psyop’s roster of directors and artists.
He has been involved in a wide variety of projects from animated television shows to advertising for major brands and personal short films. His work has been featured in several festivals including the Ottawa Film Festival and won several accolades. His past projects include collaborations with notable brands such as Travel Oregon and Airbnb.
“I had the pleasure of working alongside Luca. He was able to bring on such talented artists. The team he assembled brought a nice level of authenticity to this project”, said Kylie Matulick, co-founder of Psyop.
“We saw a golden opportunity to make a fun spot for Taco Bell. Anime is a rich world and there is so much history with a real deep connection between the genre and food. Having spent so much time in Tokyo, Luca really breeds this culture.”
