Five reasons to use 3D/CGI in your next campaign

Do you think the use of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) is restricted to Hollywood movies or cutting edge product visualisations only? Well, that’s no longer the case. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider using CGI in your next campaign!

Image courtesy of Volvo Car Group

As a business owner or a marketer looking for a way to put together images for a magazine, website or a video, there used to be no other way than to contact a production studio or a photographer to set up a photo shoot. Although traditional photography probably will be used for long time, today businesses that require high-end visual content have another alternative: CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). 

Do you still believe that CGI is some kind of magic in Hollywood movies only? Actually, it’s becoming everyday goods. 75% of the images in IKEA’s famous catalogue is now created with CGI rather than using traditional photo shoots, and Mercedes uses CGI in all of its marketing and advertising. If you are not already using CGI in your campaigns, here are five reasons why you should consider doing so:

1. Usually costs less than a photo shoot

One of the prevailing notions about CGI is that it is expensive. Like all things, it depends on what you compare it to. The traditional way to prepare for a product launch was to book a photo or a video shoot. This would provide you with great images of the finished product. But, if for some reason you were not happy with the result of the final images, you would have to book a re-shoot, with additional costs and administration as a result. Using CGI you can re-shoot the scenes as many times as you like. 

IKEA kitchen. Image retrieved from Wall Street Journal

For IKEA traditionally, the most expensive pictures to set up for and shoot, are kitchens. By using CGI instead of traditional photography there is no longer need for flying in all these white goods from all over the world to build an expensive set-up, as it can all be created digitally. CGI is better from both environmental and cost point of view. In other words, CGI can replace high-end photographers, large crews and set-pieces – in many cases at a fraction of the cost.

More than 75% of the IKEA catalogue is CGI.

2. Mass customisation

There are other factors than just cost when it comes to considering CGI. Many industries are moving towards more frequent, global product releases with more customised products and design options than ever before. The new Opel Adam has more than 100,000 different potential design combinations. Nike has a similar amount of options with their Nike-id. These trends make it almost physically impossible to photograph every product, product feature and product variation for a global campaign.


Image courtesy of Opel

3. Creative Freedom

How do you show all the strong features of a product by taking a picture of the exterior? How would you present a product if there were no limitations? For example how can you handle range worries on an electric car? Tesla have solved this by using CGI to create interactive simulations online.  The only limit of what CGI can depict is your imagination. To put it in another perspective, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then CGI can write a short novel.


Image courtesy of Tesla Motors

4. Even better than the real thing

CGI does not require a large production team and you are not restricted by location, weather and other conditions. This can all be handled virtually. With CGI, the sun shines for as long as you want it to. All aspects of the product like lighting, materials and location can also be fine-tuned or exchanged on the fly. The Danish jewel maker Pandora took advantage of this in their recent Rose campaign, where all shoots were completely CGI based.


Image courtesy of Pandora

5. The right media at the right time

In the last 10 years the distribution and consumption of media has completely changed. Creative teams today have to deal with the challenges of optimising and delivering content to an ever growing list of channels and devices. Smartphones, tablets and TV sets all provide their users with different viewing experiences. A digital portfolio makes it easier for marketers to ensure that customers get the right media for the right device, in the right format throughout the entire customer journey.

Zooma are experts in 3D/CGI with more than 15 years of experience in the field. Do you want to know how 3D/CGI can add value to your next campaign?