The self-care application Finch, a digital sanctuary utilized daily by over two million individuals, has officially unveiled its inaugural brand campaign, a poignant and relatable exploration titled Whatever It Takes to Get Through the Day. This ambitious initiative manifests as a 3DCG musical short film, designed not only to highlight Finch’s core functionality—its endearing digital bird companion that serves as an emotional support system, mood tracker, and daily planner—but also to subvert the often-polished and aspirational aesthetic that has come to dominate wellness marketing. Instead, the campaign boldly embraces the idiosyncratic, often peculiar, rituals that individuals employ to navigate the ebb and flow of daily existence. These range from the comforting act of burying one’s face in a pet’s fur, the cathartic release of deep-cleaning one’s living space, the escapist indulgence of scrolling through real estate listings in moments of quiet solitude, to the communal solace found in binge-watching a beloved television series—even, perhaps surprisingly, the simple act of sitting on a running clothes dryer.
The short film, a testament to creative innovation and emotional resonance, is readily accessible across multiple platforms. Viewers can experience it on YouTube, Finch’s official social media channels, and through connected TV partners such as Roku, ensuring a broad reach for its message.
The genesis of this unique campaign lies in a deliberate departure from conventional marketing strategies. Kirsten Lepore, an Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning animation director renowned for her work on projects like Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and I Am Groot, was brought on board to direct the short. Collaborating with the esteemed animation studio Mathematic, Lepore brought her distinctive vision to the project. "I will say I was shocked that the dryer scene made it through with very little pushback," Lepore commented, reflecting on the bold creative choices made. "I don’t do a lot of commercials, but this brief came in and I was just so charmed by it. It wasn’t your run of the mill, cute, saccharine animation thing. It had an edge to it that really attracted me. I’m a weirdo myself so it oozes out of me naturally. And on my initial call with Kevin and the gang, I got this sense that they were willing to push the weird and that we could go a little more unhinged with some of these little vignettes." This willingness to embrace the unconventional was a key factor in the campaign’s distinctive appeal.
The creative backbone of Whatever It Takes to Get Through the Day was anchored by Kevin Weir, founder and creative director of Weirwork studio, alongside his writing partner Mark Bielik and producer Isaac Hoff. While Finch’s initial brief centered primarily on emotional storytelling, Weir recognized an opportunity to broaden the campaign’s scope. "I’m definitely the guy sticking his face into his cat’s fur," Weir admitted, sharing a personal anecdote that mirrors the film’s themes. "I’ll get an email from work that just makes me want to bury my face in something warm. We wanted to create something that sits in the sweet spot of strange and sweet. And Kirsten is very strong in the weird and very strong in the sweet." This dual focus on the peculiar and the comforting became a guiding principle for the project, aiming to create content that was both memorable and deeply resonant with the human experience.
The campaign’s narrative arc, while promoting the Finch app’s digital pet and its supportive features, delves into the more understated, often overlooked, coping mechanisms that people employ. This approach intentionally diverges from the typical wellness narrative, which often promotes idealized versions of self-care. Instead, Whatever It Takes to Get Through the Day champions the authenticity of everyday struggles and the unconventional, yet effective, strategies individuals utilize to find moments of respite and resilience. This includes relatable scenarios such as the comfort derived from a beloved television show. Lepore further elaborated on this, stating, "I really related to those girls on the couch binge-watching their show. We went through many iterations of what that show would look like, and I did push very hard for the hockey hunks. I’m a Heated Rivalry fan and have ‘reheated’ that show many, many times." This specific detail underscores the campaign’s commitment to grounding its narrative in genuine human experiences and shared cultural touchstones.
To effectively translate these raw, honest ideas into the Finch ecosystem, Lepore and Weir focused on crafting characters and environments that exuded warmth and comfort, even amidst the depicted chaos. "Finch has a pretty robust world of 2D animation and, since it’s their first campaign, I wanted it to feel different, but still of course rooted in their own look and feel," Weir explained. "We wanted to bring the shapes and colors and essence of their 2D world into a more tactile 3D world that had warmth and fuzziness that would let us get away with a lot in terms of subject matter." This strategic use of 3D animation, infused with the visual language of Finch’s existing 2D aesthetic, aimed to create an immersive and emotionally accessible world.
Every meticulously crafted detail within the film, from the symbolic shells and gems used in makeshift ritual circles to the whimsical pink cakes representing stress-eating, all brought to life in Maya, contributed to the overall believability and charm of the world. The minimalist facial expressions of the characters were a particularly crucial element in achieving this balance. "I always gravitate towards more simple designs," Lepore shared. "I find that when you go more minimal with the facial designs, it becomes more relatable. It’s not overly described. If you go too big and too cartoony, it’s not funny. But I think, if it’s just subtle enough, everyone can laugh and relate to it. For the dryer moment, we went back and forth three or four times to perfectly nail the micro-meter expression. Sometimes all it takes is the perfect blink." This attention to subtle nuance in animation is a hallmark of Lepore’s directorial style and proved instrumental in conveying complex emotions with understated efficacy.
The film also features a more imposing character: a colossal, three-eyed kaiju monster with large tentacles wreaking havoc in the background. The integration of this seemingly incongruous element into the otherwise cozy Finch-verse required considerable creative effort. "It’s also the only character that lip syncs in the short," Weir noted. "It doesn’t have a traditional mouth, there are multiple eyes moving around, and there was just a lot going on with that character. Everyone had different ideas for what it should look like, how dopey it should be, but I think we landed in a good place." Lepore further emphasized the importance of retaining the character’s core concept, stating, "It just came back to keeping things simple. I had drawn a really simple, rough sketch when I storyboarded the whole short in the beginning, and we ended up just going back to that original sketch." This commitment to simplicity, even for the most complex characters, ensured thematic consistency.
The overarching ethos of Whatever It Takes to Get Through the Day was built upon the principles of being both "strange and sweet," but the production itself was driven by a commitment to simplicity and honesty. This approach allowed the creative team to navigate the inherent challenges of producing animation for a broad audience. "The range of Finch’s users is pretty broad, so we wanted to make sure everybody was represented, but Kevin and I are both parents, so we knew we needed to have a crazy parent moment in the short," Lepore explained, highlighting the inclusion of relatable parental experiences.
Weir offered a personal perspective on the project’s thematic resonance, ironically noting the circumstances under which it was created. "Ironically, it was our first winter doing daycare and I was constantly ill. I feel like I was sick for 90 percent of this project trying to promote wellness. By the end of the production, I think all of us had downloaded the app." This candid admission speaks to the genuine connection the team developed with the app’s purpose, even amidst personal challenges.
The success of Whatever It Takes to Get Through the Day has fostered a strong desire among the creative team to continue their collaboration with Finch. "I feel very proud of how it all turned out and it’s one of the most fun things I’ve ever worked on in advertising," Weir declared. He elaborated on the rewarding nature of the advertising industry when projects align with creative integrity: "Advertising can either be the worst job in the world or the best job in the world and, when you’re doing stuff like this, where you’re making something that you feel like you’re getting away with a little bit, that’s when it’s the best. I would love to do more. I think Finch is keen, too. We’ve got all the 3D models and assets ready to go now. So, hopefully, this is the first of many Finch films." This sentiment suggests a promising future for further creative endeavors between Finch and the Weirwork/Mathematic/PRETTYBIRD team.
The campaign’s reception has been largely positive, resonating with a broad demographic that appreciates its candid and humorous portrayal of everyday life. In a digital landscape saturated with curated perfection, Finch’s Whatever It Takes to Get Through the Day offers a refreshing and authentic perspective on self-care, acknowledging that sometimes, getting through the day requires a little bit of strangeness, a lot of sweetness, and a willingness to embrace the perfectly imperfect rituals that make life bearable. The campaign’s success underscores a growing demand for marketing that prioritizes genuine human connection and relatable experiences over idealized aspirations. This approach not only fosters deeper engagement with the brand but also cultivates a more authentic and supportive relationship with its user base. The long-term implications of this strategy could influence future wellness marketing, potentially shifting the focus towards more inclusive and less performative representations of self-care.
