Filmmaker Sebastián Caporelli crafts campaign for Palacio de Hierro

Director Sebastián Caporelli, represented in the US by Easy Mondays, tests the boundaries of VFX courtesy of Caporelli’s post house, Wolf VFX, with a new 3-spot campaign for Palacio de Hierro (translation: The Iron Palace), an upscale chain of department stores in Mexico. Created via Teran TBWA, the campaign comprises Christmas, Mitikah, and Futuro.

Christmas is a breathtakingly magical spin through the Palacio that spans a nightlong journey inside a Christmas ornament and an ascent to a two-story carousel, as lighted instruments accompany what manages to be a very warm and tender experience in gift-giving.

Introducing the new Palacio de Hierro store in southern Mexico City, Mitikah can best be described as a floral filmmaking fantasy combining history, timeless architecture, and the supernatural element of wolf symbolism. Of all land animals, the wolf is considered the most accomplished hunter. The perfect spirit animal for a seasoned shopper.

Finally, Futuro takes shopping to another level, specifically, outer space. “When I got the script, I was immediately taken with the project, but it was very ambitious,” Caporelli recalls. “It all happened in space, inside a spaceship that also had to be a reimagining of a Palacio de Hierro store. We needed to take a ‘sci-fi elegant’ approach worthy of this brand. I didn't want to leave everything to the VFX and the green screen: I love the power of VFX, but always strive to use it in a way that will enhance what already looks great on camera.”

For this reason, the director secured a set of locations that could bring the desired vibe to the shots in camera, before working with WolfVFX to make them look even better. “I remembered the ‘CANTORAL‘ in Mexico city, this amazing futuristic building that has the modern style we needed for the spot and it was part of the pitch not to leave everything to the VFX and green screen,” says Caporelli. 

“I wanted to have something real, something we could light along with (DoP) Josep Pardo and something that we could see in camera in order to keep it elegant and real.” The agency immediately got on board, as they also wanted to execute the photo shoot and having a real location was key in this regard.