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Menomonie Market Food Co-op meals boosted by UW-Stout Polytechnic animation faculty, students’ commercial
Collaboration captures local business’s vision, recognizes ‘value of human-made art’
By Abbey Goers, UW-Stout
Menomonie, Wis. – Menomonie Market Food Co-op has seen a boost in guests recently after launching an animated commercial on social media, promoting its $6 Monday Value Meals. Available at both the Menomonie and Eau Claire locations, the meals provide a healthy, affordable option with fresh, local ingredients, and can be enjoyed in their family-friendly dining areas or as a take-home option.
The 45-second animated commercial was made in collaboration with University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic animation and digital media students Alyssa Hills and Lin Fullen as part of their field experience at Aurora Bell Tower Studios LLC, owned by Assistant Professor Jesse Woodward.
Under the direction of Woodward, Hills and Fullen served as background artists, animators and illustrators.
“We’ve received a fantastic response to the commercial on social media, and we continue to see a steady stream of customers coming in for the meals. Jesse, Alyssa and Lin’s encouragement, friendly demeanor and expert guidance truly set the tone. They absolutely captured our vision, perfectly representing our co-op as the friendly, fun and welcoming space that we strive to be every day,” said Marketing Manager April Aken, who, along with team member Measha Vieth, did voiceovers for the animation.
For other businesses looking to collaborate with UW-Stout Polytechnic faculty and students, Aken said, “Go for it. They are an incredibly creative, kind and talented group. Supporting local talent is essential to a thriving community. Now, more than ever, it is important to recognize the value of human-made art and the unique heart and personality it brings to a business. You can truly see the time, love and labor they poured into this project, and it has made a wonderful impact.”
“At our polytechnic university, working with a client and producing a professional animation gives students the opportunity to take what they learn and bring it into the industry. It gives students more to show on their resumes and portfolio websites. Of course, employers like to see the final animation, but they love to see the artist’s creative and problem-solving processes too,” Woodward said.
Connecting with audiences through animation
In the animation, viewers are greeted by warm smiles and warm food. A group of friends – six animated fruits and vegetables – gathers around a table and invites others to join them at the Menomonie Market.
Hills thinks the animation element brought a spark to the commercial that other media couldn’t. “Animation is, in my opinion, undervalued as a medium. There are certain things that you can accomplish with animation that wouldn’t be as successful with other mediums. Connecting with broad audiences, for instance, becomes easier by creating engaging animations. With animation, you also have more freedom to execute effects and tell a story exactly how you want it. It’s not like you see walking, talking food people in real life! But you can see them with animation,” she said.
Fullen’s inspiration was the mixing of the Menomonie Market’s values and the animation team’s own ideas to bring the project to life. “Before we even touched a pen to page or presented our first ideas, we did market research. During the first few days of preproduction, I looked at common marketing ads for both local small-town shops and large branded companies to get an idea of what could be expected of us and to be prepared with questions that could lead to a more perfect idea of a final product. Then we looked into the Menomonie Market’s past advisements to gain a better understanding of expectations and values the company might hold,” she said.
In the animation, Hills wanted the characters and the Menomonie Market to look as approachable as possible. She researched the organization and its value: Everyone is welcome. “That really influenced my creative decisions. I feel as though the heart of this animation was community, which is something that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I hope to continue to work on projects that are positive for the collective,” she said.
Hills and Fullen used Toon Boom Harmony, an industry-standard software for 2D animation, which Woodward teaches in his classes. They used Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, and Procreate to create highly detailed food illustrations and other animation. For sound recording and video editing, Woodward used Adobe Audition and Adobe Premiere, while the composer and music producer Apearl Kristiana used the program called Fruity Loops.
During their field experience, Hills and Fullen were able to practice the animation skills they’d developed in their courses, as well as managing deadlines, communicating with a creative team, and translating their client’s desires into an advertisement they appreciate.
For both future animators, it was a special and unique experience creating the Menomonie Market commercial, and they’re thankful for Woodward and the market for the opportunity.
“I really appreciate that a local organization connected with local artists to create something with human minds, hands and hearts. That in itself elevated the animation. I feel like it was a great way to help foster community and support the Menomonie Market as well as Stout students,” said Hills, who will graduate in December. This experience has interested her in pursuing promotional animations for local businesses as well as in Madison or the Twin Cities.
“The Menomonie Market is a local business that operates on the support of its locals. Stout, while also local, can provide a service in seeking to educate the population and, by extension, improve the local area. When those two mix, they create opportunities that are mutually beneficial for the company and the college, with students gaining hands-on learning experience,” Fullen said.
“The biggest piece of advice I can give to other students is to keep your head up high and believe that you'll make it. You may not make it where you want to go, but if I learned anything from this internship, if you persist, you’ll still end up doing something you love. Keep going!” she added.
UW-Stout Polytechnic’s School of Art & Design, one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest, offers bachelor’s degrees in animation and digital media; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, as well as an M.F.A. in design.
UW-Stout Polytechnic, a member of the Universities of Wisconsin, focuses on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes. Learn more via the FOCUS2030 strategic plan.
