Creative direction
PERMAFLEX
Cross-Continental Brand Campaign Featuring Milo Manara
Overview
Deliverables:
· Creative direction for a hybrid live-action × animation campaign
· Artistic collaboration with Milo Manara, iconic Italian illustrator
· Original soundtrack development and sound identity design
· International production management (Italy + Argentina)
· Campaign storytelling and narrative strategy
· Visual system and branded motion assets for TV, digital and in-store use
#creative direction for legacy brands #international advertising campaign agency #sound branding agency #visual storytelling for brands #heritage brand repositioning #cross-continental production agency
THE CHALLENGE
Permaflex, a pioneer in the Italian mattress industry, sought to rejuvenate its brand image by blending tradition with innovation. The challenge was to create a campaign that resonated with both longstanding customers and a new generation of consumers. This involved coordinating a complex production across Italy and Argentina, integrating live-action sequences with the distinctive illustrations of Milo Manara, and crafting a narrative that encapsulated comfort, elegance, and modernity.
STRATEGIC INSIGHT
In today’s market, heritage brands need the right partners to shape that evolution. WOM Creative Studio conceived and led the entire campaign for Permaflex, collaborating with Encuadre Buenos Aires for international production and with iconic Italian illustrator Milo Manara for the animated concept.
THE IDEA: FROM HERITAGE TO HYPERVISUAL
The campaign was designed to be a visual lullaby, combining the sensual illustrations of Milo Manara with live-action footage to create a narrative that transcends traditional advertising. The original soundtrack further immersed viewers in the brand's ethos of comfort and elegance. The collaboration with Encuadre Buenos Aires facilitated the complex logistics of international production, ensuring that the campaign maintained a cohesive aesthetic and message across all platforms.
TAKEAWAYS
·Heritage brands thrive when they embrace innovation without losing their core identity.
·Integrating diverse artistic elements can create a compelling narrative that resonates across demographics.
·Strategic international partnerships are key to executing complex campaigns effectively.
·Sound design is a powerful tool in enhancing brand storytelling and emotional connection.
·A cohesive, multi-sensory campaign can redefine a brand's position in a saturated market.
Udderstanding Creative Direction vs. Art Direction
In the world of advertising, the terms creative direction and art direction are often used interchangeably—but they refer to very different responsibilities. Understanding this distinction is crucial for any company aiming to build a strong brand and increase sales.
Creative direction is a strategic leadership role that oversees the entire conceptual vision of a campaign or brand narrative. It defines the tone, the message, and the emotional connection with the audience. The creative director is not focused solely on how things look, but on what they mean—and why they matter. In contrast, art direction takes that conceptual vision and brings it to life visually. The art director ensures the creative direction is translated into tangible design assets such as layouts, photography styles, color palettes, and typography.
While art direction is indispensable for ensuring visual consistency and quality, it is the creative direction that sets the compass. Without this top-level vision, even the most polished visuals risk being irrelevant or off-brand. Businesses that confuse these two functions often invest in well-designed campaigns that ultimately fail to resonate because the strategic thinking was missing from the start.
The Creative Director as Strategic Bridge Between Vision and Execution
The role of the creative director in a high-performing agency is both artistic and strategic. This figure connects brand objectives with market expectations, ensuring that every creative output serves a specific purpose in the marketing funnel. Creative direction involves researching audience psychology, analyzing cultural trends, interpreting brand values, and synthesizing them into a coherent narrative. The creative director leads a team of copywriters, art directors, and digital designers to ensure that messaging, tone, and visuals align across all channels.
For a company looking to reposition its brand or launch a new product, the absence of structured creative direction can be detrimental. While it may be tempting to improvise or delegate vision-setting to internal staff or junior designers, the risk is high: campaigns may lack focus, storytelling becomes fragmented, and the brand identity loses its distinctiveness. Good creative direction acts as a filtering lens, allowing only those ideas that truly reinforce the brand strategy to pass through.
In agencies that achieve consistent results, the creative director is present from the initial pitch to the final rollout. They ensure that the brand not only looks good but communicates meaningfully—across social media, packaging, retail environments, and advertising platforms. This is what gives a brand cohesion and long-term memorability.
Why Creative Direction Cannot Be Improvised
One of the most common missteps in brand communication arises when business owners attempt to take on creative direction themselves. While the motivation may be understandable—cost-saving or perceived familiarity with the brand—the outcome is often confusion and inconsistency. Creative direction is not about instinct or taste alone. It is a discipline that requires training, experience, and a deep understanding of market dynamics and consumer psychology.
When creative direction is handled in-house without proper expertise, the brand’s message can become incoherent. Campaigns risk being reactive rather than strategic, and over time, the brand loses its competitive edge. What may start as a well-intentioned DIY approach often results in declining customer engagement and ineffective marketing spend.
In contrast, when creative direction is entrusted to experienced professionals, brands benefit from a unified voice, powerful storytelling, and campaigns that speak directly to their intended audience. For any company aiming to improve product sales and long-term brand value, integrating strong creative direction into its marketing efforts is not optional—it is foundational.