Campaign Launch

CAROLINA HERRERA Bad Boy Elixir

Step V Studio’s most ambitious project yet. Cinematic CGI for Carolina Herrera’s Bad Boy Elixir.

client

ClientCarolina Herrera (Spec Ad)

Duration

4 Weeks

Project Type

3D Modeling, Simulations, Lighting, Animation, Compositing

Bad Boy Elixir is Carolina Herrera’s most intense masculine fragrance. A scent that captures the heat after a storm. Sage, leather, cedarwood. The iconic lightning bolt flacon in black and copper. Everything about this fragrance screams bold confidence.

The Challenge

Of course, a campaign about sound required a thoughtful focus on the sonic side of the creative as well. From bespoke textural soundscapes to intricate samples, we ensured that this campaign wasn’t just a visual experience — but one that could resonate in an audiovisual way.

The Approach

We rebuilt our entire workflow for this one. Houdini joined our pipeline for the first time, opening up possibilities we never had before. Cloth simulations, liquid simulations, physics that feel alive. K-Cycles brought new compositing techniques to the table. Flares, glares, bloom. Light that breathes.

The lighting setups were unconventional. Sharp beams with narrow spread angles for concentrated, dramatic light. Blender’s light linking allowed us to create lighting scenarios that would be physically impossible in reality. Deep blacks, rich amber tones, flashes of gold. A world inspired by city lights after dark.

The biggest challenge was syncing everything to the music. Every cut, every movement, every reveal had to hit at the right moment. The animation needed to feel like a lightning strike. Sharp. Dynamic. Confident.

Moodboard

The Outcome

One month from concept to final delivery. Moodboard, visual storyboard, blocking, iterations, final render. A 25 second cinematic animation in both portrait and landscape formats. Hero stills in the highest quality we have ever produced. Everything delivered in 4K, downsampled to 1080p for social to preserve maximum sharpness.

This project marks a milestone for Step V Studio. New tools, optimized pipelines, and a result that stands apart from the quiet, safe perfume ads out there. This one hits different.