Logorama

http://www.aim.com/

Logorama, created in 2009 and directed by the French animation collection, H5, is a purely fun animated cartoon.  It was awarded the 2010 Academy Award for Best Short Animated Picture.  The plot line is fairly simple—the story of a police chase and search for a highly dangerous and wanted criminal. 

However the design of the video is very unique and is probably what helps grab the attention of audiences.  The setting of the film is a city (Malibu, I am assuming) entirely made up of logos.  Every part of the city is made up of a logo.  Even the townspeople are significant—an Esso worker, the Pringles man, and non-important characters are all the little AOL AIM people.  The story follows the police officers, that are also Michelin men, and they are chasing the bad guy, also known as Ronald McDonald.  There are endless recognizable characters and famous figures used in the story’s narration.  Products and logos also appear everywhere as the story is told. 

While this is just a cartoon, watching it makes me wonder if perhaps there’s a bigger idea or message behind it.  Looking at the stop signs in this city, there is only two options: “Stop” and “Shop”.   This combined with the design of the city, suggest that maybe we are a culture that consumes too much.  The entire city is created and filled with recognizable logos.  I do not think that the designers went so far as to suggest that the Michelin man is good or that Ronald McDonald is evil—but it is possible that they are looking down at the overconsumption of our cultures.