I directed three spots for KA-BAR, the first commercials ever for a brand over 100 years old.

The agency, Rawle Murdy in Charleston, asked me to develop concepts for animated treatments to tell true stories sent in by KA-BAR owners. I pitched the idea of animated tattoos and they dug it. Both RM and KA-BAR were a dream to work with creatively.

Following the release of these videos, viewership of the KA-BAR website has doubled every month to date and annual sales increased by 35%.

Hunting knives and tattoos share a primal nature, and the tattoo aesthetic is one that the customer base connects with. It's a strong bond between concept and product.

The illustrations in the "Blizzard" spot were created using woodcuts, a technique rarely seen in animation.



Conceived and Directed by Joshua Frankel
Production Company: Earthworm
Producer: Elissa Federoff
DP : Jeff Barnett-Winsby
Sound: John Moros

Post: Omega Darling
Creative Director: Zach Shukan
Tattoo Illustration: Damara Kaminecki, Johnnie Kravetz, Brett Zarro
Hand Animation: Henry Hilaire
Compositors: Dan DiFelice, David Sarma
Design: Luka Romel, Azusa Kobayashi

Agency: Rawle Murdy
Creative Director: Rich Terry
Associate Creative Director / Copy: Henry Mathieu
Account: West Herford