INSA On Creating Maximum Impact For Pepsi

To shots' knowledge, there are no hallucinogenic ingredients in Pepsi MAX Cherry - but a a new interactive installation from AMV BBDO, featuring the eye-popping work of London-based GIF-iti artist INSA, might just make you trip out.

Combining graffiti and GIFs, INSA's unique, hand-painted animated street art has previously found favour with the likes of Nike and Ballantine's, for whom he created the world's largest animated GIF, viewable from space. He's since developed his own app, the GIF-iti Viewer, which allows users to experience the artwork in situ, through their mobile phones. Below, he talks shots through his latest project.

When and how did you get involved with the Pepsi MAX Cherry project?

I was asked to create an art piece that illustrated how Pepsi MAX Cherry’s fans comment on the taste of the drink. I wanted to give this a genius twist and try something more complicated than ever before. So, I hand-painted three animated GIFs and when viewed using my app, the "GIF-ITI Viewer", the paintings come to life!

How did you go about realising the brief and what was the most challenging part of the process?

It was an idea I had to try something that hasn’t been done before and a new challenge. Painting a piece over 7 different surfaces that only line up in one fixed viewing spot was challenging in itself and then painting that piece 24 times to bring it to life was even more of a challenge! 

The project required you to create art based on three descriptions of the taste of Pepsi MAX Cherry, what made you choose those particular descriptions ('A first kiss'/'An abyss'/'Like roaring across icy glaciers') and how easy was it to realise them visually?

Pepsi MAX Cherry asked their social media followers to share what the taste means to them and had some good responses back. Two consumer responses were chosen, as well as one from British pop star Charli XCX. I choose ones that inspired me to paint something that would work well as an animation. 

Part of the process involved building a 360-degree camera rig around the installation, tell us a bit more about the technical side of the project…

A total of 72 paintings were painted and captured in 360 degrees by 90 cameras! I really like the fact we are bridging the gap between art and technology, mixing timelines and viewing angles. It was amazing to see we actually managed it in under two weeks. 

You coined the term ‘GIF-iti’ to describe your fusion of street art and GIFs, when did you first start creating this kind of work?

I started creating these animated paintings about 3 years ago. It was a response to how I saw art being viewed these days and that online is often the actual platform but never the intended one. I wanted to make work that lived better online than it did offline, similar to everybody's lives.

Can you tell us a bit more about the creative process for GIF-iti, which is notoriously time-consuming?

Starting where most artwork ends, GIF-ITI takes layers of painting and photographing to create the final piece. I like the idea of so much work going into something so disposable as a 600 pixel-wide GIF. It's a crossover between hand-crafted and digital magic. Now with my app I have gone full circle and brought the GIFs off the internet and out into the real world.  

You’ve worked with some of the world’s biggest brands including Ballantine’s, Nike and now Pepsi -  which brand would you still love to collaborate with and why?

I have loved collaborating with all the brands you mentioned. I also want to try and push the boundaries so would have to say an airline or maybe Nasa.

Outside of commercial briefs, what inspires your art?

I'm inspired by many things, everything! Right now it's more general concepts like time and life and how we and living in the world today - I find the human condition very inspiring.

The INSA x Pepsi MAX Cherry installation will be open to the public on Saturday 27 February at the Old Truman Brewery, London.