The value of animated storytelling in advertising
Partner Tracey Cooper speaks about Riff Raff’s new animation department, Our Animated Cousin, the importance of craft and creativity, and the reality of AI
When Riff Raff Films launched Our Animated Cousin (OAC) back in May, it wasn’t just simply a roster expansion but an intentional move towards something bigger. At a time when production companies are diversifying to navigate an uncertain advertising landscape, OAC appears to be an acknowledgement of animation’s place within Riff Raff’s creative identity.
For Tracey Cooper, executive producer and partner at Riff Raff, the decision was part of a desire to reshape perception. “I think if we were simply going by the market we would probably have just continued forging a purely live action path and not fixed what wasn’t broken. Or opened a bubble tea shop,” she tells CR.
“But, I had been watching the climate, following the discussions on AI, the worries about advertising being condensed into huge corporations and thought about what brought me most joy, and it’s animation. So I thought, let’s raise our heads above the parapet and make OAC a destination, not a chanced-upon happy accident.”