Logorama
Encyclopedia
Logorama is a 16-minute French animated film written and directed by H5/ François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy and Ludovic Houplain, and produced by Autour de Minuit. The film depicts events in a stylized Los Angeles, and is told entirely through the use of more than 2,500 contemporary and historical logo
s and mascots. The film won the Prix Kodak at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival
and the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 82nd Academy Awards
.
logos, etc. The major characters are revealed in an Altman
-esque tableau. The Pringles
mascot (voiced by David Fincher
) pulls into a restaurant's parking lot and propositions an Esso
Girl waitress (voiced by Aja Evans) who is on a smoking break. Two Michelin Man cops in a parked cruiser (voiced by Bob Stephenson
and Sherman Augustus
) are introduced as they debate the morality of keeping animals in zoos. Across town, Bob's Big Boy
(voiced by Joel Michaely
) and Haribo
(voiced by Matt Winston
) are on a tour at the zoo led by a flamboyantly gay Mr. Clean
(also voiced by Michaely).
As the cops order lunch, a call comes in over the radio about a criminal on the loose in a red delivery truck. Both cops spy Ronald McDonald
(voiced by Stephenson) in the truck and give chase. The pursuit quickly veers out of control, as innocent bystanders are imperiled. The kids at the zoo have finished their visit and are back on the school bus. Their bus gets caught up in the chase when Ronald McDonald's truck tips over right in front of the Pizza Hut
where Esso Girl is waiting on the Original Pringles mascot and the Pringles Hot & Spicy mascot as they have lunch together.
Several guns and biological weapons spill out of the back of Ronald McDonald's truck, tempting Big Boy and Haribo to steal them for sale on the black market. Ronald McDonald takes Big Boy hostage and runs inside the Pizza Hut. Once inside, Big Boy bites Ronald McDonald and runs for cover behind the counter with Esso Girl. Enraged, Ronald McDonald opens fire, giving the police the excuse to start firing on him, and he kills one of the police officers.
As the gun battle explodes in to the streets, a low rumbling can be heard across the entire city. A giant earthquake splits the streets of the city open, meanwhile Big Boy and Esso Girl escape out the back and steal a cop car. While running from the police on a stolen motorcycle, Ronald McDonald falls into one of the crevasses (shaped like a Zenith
logo). As he tries to pull himself out, he is run over by Esso Girl & Big Boy's car. The duo barely escape the city. As they near the Hollywood sign
, it falls apart, sending the giant letters crashing on to the highway in front of them. While evading one of them, they veer off the highway (a series of curves shaped like the VAIO
logo) and down a hill. Their car crashes into a tree (American Century logo)
, and oil erupts in the rifts around town, flooding Los Angeles with crude oil. The hill Esso Girl and Big Boy are on, splits in two, revealing a giant North Face
logo. Eventually, the land crumbles around them, swallowed by the sea, leaving them on a tiny island together (with the Esso girl picks up a coloured Apple and has a bite) as the film closes by zooming out to reveal that the entire Universe is made up of even more logos. After the credits, a bald, toothless Ronald McDonald, menacingly laughs and says "I'm lovin' it".
mascot Ronald McDonald
used to depict the villain, and two Michelin Men used to depict the protagonist cops.
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
s and mascots. The film won the Prix Kodak at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
and the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 82nd Academy Awards
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
.
Plot
The opening shot is a panorama of Los Angeles, revealing a city where all of the buildings and inhabitants are some form of commercial branding: birds in the form of Bentley logos, Microsoft's butterfly, pedestrians in the shape of the AIM icon, overhead highway signs mounted on Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
logos, etc. The major characters are revealed in an Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
-esque tableau. The Pringles
Pringles
Pringles is a brand of potato and wheat based snacks originally developed by Procter & Gamble. Pringles are sold in more than 140 countries and have yearly sales of more than...
mascot (voiced by David Fincher
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
) pulls into a restaurant's parking lot and propositions an Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Girl waitress (voiced by Aja Evans) who is on a smoking break. Two Michelin Man cops in a parked cruiser (voiced by Bob Stephenson
Bob Stephenson (actor)
Robert J. "Bob" Stephenson is an American film actor, television actor, film producer and screenwriter who is probably best known as Sheriff Jimmy Taylor on the CBS TV series Jericho....
and Sherman Augustus
Sherman Augustus
Sherman Augustus is an American actor. Augustus played professional football with the San Diego Chargers and Minnesota Vikings...
) are introduced as they debate the morality of keeping animals in zoos. Across town, Bob's Big Boy
Big Boy (restaurant)
Big Boy is a restaurant chain with its headquarters in Warren, Michigan.Big Boy was started in 1936 by Bob Wian, in partnership with Arnold Peterson in Glendale, California, USA. Marriott Corporation bought the chain in 1967...
(voiced by Joel Michaely
Joel Michaely
Joel Michaely is an American actor and film producer.He has appeared in such films as Can't Hardly Wait, But I'm a Cheerleader, Ghost World, The Rules of Attraction, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Cruel World, Factory Girl and Itty Bitty Titty Committee. On television, Michaely has appeared in Unhappily Ever...
) and Haribo
HARIBO
Haribo is a German confectionery producer, founded in 1920 by Hans Riegel Sr. The company headquarters are in Bonn, and the name is an acronym for Hans Riegel, Bonn....
(voiced by Matt Winston
Matt Winston
Matthew "Matt" Winston is an American actor, the son of late special effects artist Stan Winston. He attended Yale, is married to Amy Smallman and has two small children....
) are on a tour at the zoo led by a flamboyantly gay Mr. Clean
Mr. Clean
Mr. Clean is a brand name fully owned by Procter & Gamble. It is used for a cleaning solution and related products, and as "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser", for a melamine foam cleaner.-History:...
(also voiced by Michaely).
As the cops order lunch, a call comes in over the radio about a criminal on the loose in a red delivery truck. Both cops spy Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and...
(voiced by Stephenson) in the truck and give chase. The pursuit quickly veers out of control, as innocent bystanders are imperiled. The kids at the zoo have finished their visit and are back on the school bus. Their bus gets caught up in the chase when Ronald McDonald's truck tips over right in front of the Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
where Esso Girl is waiting on the Original Pringles mascot and the Pringles Hot & Spicy mascot as they have lunch together.
Several guns and biological weapons spill out of the back of Ronald McDonald's truck, tempting Big Boy and Haribo to steal them for sale on the black market. Ronald McDonald takes Big Boy hostage and runs inside the Pizza Hut. Once inside, Big Boy bites Ronald McDonald and runs for cover behind the counter with Esso Girl. Enraged, Ronald McDonald opens fire, giving the police the excuse to start firing on him, and he kills one of the police officers.
As the gun battle explodes in to the streets, a low rumbling can be heard across the entire city. A giant earthquake splits the streets of the city open, meanwhile Big Boy and Esso Girl escape out the back and steal a cop car. While running from the police on a stolen motorcycle, Ronald McDonald falls into one of the crevasses (shaped like a Zenith
Zenith Electronics
Zenith Electronics Corporation is a brand of the South Korean company LG Electronics. The company was previously an American manufacturer of televisions and other consumer electronics, and was headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois. LG Electronics acquired a controlling share of Zenith in 1995...
logo). As he tries to pull himself out, he is run over by Esso Girl & Big Boy's car. The duo barely escape the city. As they near the Hollywood sign
Hollywood Sign
The Hollywood Sign is a landmark and American cultural icon in the Hollywood Hills area of Mount Lee, Santa Monica Mountains, in Los Angeles, California. The sign spells out the name of the area in and white letters. It was created as an advertisement in 1923, but garnered increasing recognition...
, it falls apart, sending the giant letters crashing on to the highway in front of them. While evading one of them, they veer off the highway (a series of curves shaped like the VAIO
VAIO
VAIO is a sub-brand used for many of Sony's computer products. Originally an acronym of Video Audio Integrated Operation, this was amended to Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer in 2008 to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary...
logo) and down a hill. Their car crashes into a tree (American Century logo)
American Century Investments
American Century Investments is a privately-controlled and independent investment management firm that has focused on delivering superior investment performance and building client relationships for more than 50 years. Its headquarters are located at 4500 Main in Kansas City, Missouri, near the...
, and oil erupts in the rifts around town, flooding Los Angeles with crude oil. The hill Esso Girl and Big Boy are on, splits in two, revealing a giant North Face
The North Face
The North Face, Inc. is an American outdoor product company specializing in outerwear, fleece, shirts, footwear, and equipment such as backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags....
logo. Eventually, the land crumbles around them, swallowed by the sea, leaving them on a tiny island together (with the Esso girl picks up a coloured Apple and has a bite) as the film closes by zooming out to reveal that the entire Universe is made up of even more logos. After the credits, a bald, toothless Ronald McDonald, menacingly laughs and says "I'm lovin' it".
Brand images
The entirety of Logorama is made up of brand images and logos, with these brand images and logos used to represent characters, props, locations, vehicles, and other content. Notable uses within the film include the McDonald'sMcDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
mascot Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and...
used to depict the villain, and two Michelin Men used to depict the protagonist cops.
Themes
Logorama explores the extent to which logos are embedded in our daily existence. H5 members said, "Logorama presents us with an over-marketed world built only from logos and real trademarks that are destroyed by a series of natural disasters (including an earthquake and a tidal wave of oil). Logotypes are used to describe an alarming universe (similar to the one that we are living in) with all the graphic signs that accompany us everyday in our lives. This over-organized universe is violently transformed by the cataclysm becoming fantastic and absurd. It shows the victory of the creative against the rational, where nature and human fantasy triumph."Awards
Logorama has received the following nominations and awards:- Kodak Discovery Award for Best Short Film (the Kodak Prix)- Critics' Week, Cannes Film Festival 2009 - Won
- Audience Award - Festival International de Curtas Metragans 2009
- Audience Award - Lille International Short Film Festival 2009
- Jury's Special Prize, Audience Prize, Fuji Prize for Best Directors - Cinanima International Animated Film Festival 2009
- Best Short Film - Stockholm International Film Festival 2009
- Best Direction, Audience Award - Vendôme Film Festival 2009
- Gold Medal for Animation - Zinebi, Bilbao International Film Festival 2009
- Oscar for Best Animated Short - 82nd Academy Awards82nd Academy AwardsThe 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
2010 - Won - Best Short Film - Césars 2011