What could tempt Poseidon to trade his mighty trident for a spoon or give Medusa a rare good hair day? Greek Gods Yogurt, of course. That’s the playful premise behind a new two-spot social media campaign from Chicago-based agency SRW, known for its work with food brands. The campaign, brought to life through the animation and VFX expertise of Calabash showcases the transformation of these legendary figures when they get a taste of the creamy yogurt.
Executive Producer Sean Henry and Creative Director Wayne Brejcha led the Calabash team, while Darren Weninger of MK Films delivered mouthwatering tabletop food photography to complete the visual feast.
Bringing the Gods to Life
When SRW first introduced the concept, the blend of tongue-in-cheek humor and striking visuals immediately struck a chord with the Calabash team.
“The agency had a clear vision of these grumpy gods suddenly experiencing pure joy when the yogurt appears,” says Henry. “Our challenge was to breathe personality into these rigid marble statues. SRW gave us a lot of creative freedom, and we had a blast developing the character models, refining the staging, and perfecting the timing.” Watch below:
Experimenting with AI—And Its Limits
The project also allowed Calabash to test AI tools for animation. While AI was used to help animate Poseidon’s facial expressions, the team quickly discovered the technology’s limitations.
“We hoped to use AI for Medusa’s animation as well,” Henry explains, “but no tool gave us the control we needed. It kept trying to superimpose realistic eyes and mouths onto the stone sculptures, which ended up looking… well, creepy. And when it came to animating Medusa’s snake hair, AI completely failed—turning the interwoven shapes into abstract, swirling blobs. Once we saw AI’s current shortcomings, we shifted back to a more traditional CG animation approach.”
Beyond AI, another unexpected challenge arose: the lack of ancient sculptures of Medusa that fit the character they envisioned. “The few historical references available weren’t quite right,” says Henry. “So, we created our own original CG sculptures of both Medusa and Poseidon.”
Perfecting the Look with Food Photography
The final ingredient in making the spots so visually engaging was Weninger’s food photography expertise.
“We considered using CG for the yogurt and fruit,” Henry says, “but the subtle textures and movement—how yogurt swirls or how fruit glistens—are incredibly difficult to replicate digitally. Only real photography could capture those fine details.”
Shooting the food turned out to be more intricate than expected, requiring meticulous planning to achieve just the right level of creamy decadence. “Darren and the team at MK Films nailed it,” Henry adds. “The yogurt looks so delicious, you can believe Poseidon and Medusa aren’t faking their enthusiasm!”
With a clever concept, striking character animation, and irresistibly appetizing visuals, the Greek Gods Yogurt campaign successfully blends mythology with modern-day indulgence—proving that even the gods can’t resist a truly great snack.
CREDITS:
BRAND: Greek Gods Yogurt
AGENCY: SRW, Chicago
- COO: Courtney Dixon
- Producer: Nicholas Graham
- Creative Director: Shawn Gauthier
- Creative Director: Amanda AuBuchon
PRODUCTION COMPANY: MK Films, Chicago
- Director: Darren Weninger
- Executive Producer: Joe Mosko
- Producer: RJ Pole
ANIMATION/VFX: Calabash, Chicago
- Director: Wayne Brejcha
- Executive Producer: Sean Henry
AUDIO: SW Audio Post, Chicago
Sound Designer/Mixer: Sarah Webb
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