The Innovator

The Woolmark Company is the global authority on merino wool and owns the iconic Woolmark logo. They commissioned the short film to celebrate and highlight the versatility and timelessness of wool, and to teach and inspire the next generation of designers and innovators in their Wool4School programme. Woolmark was heavily involved in the initial script, collaborating with Buck to imagine the strong narrative. 

The story is told over four entertaining scenes, from Stone Age swamp to Bedouin desert to seventeenth-century Europe to an air-conditioned modern gym. The cartoon characters are humorously portrayed and reappear in new outfits throughout the tale. The stark contrasts between each setting reinforce the different problems faced by each character, as well as the clothing solutions made possible with wool. The Innovator and Shera, the sheep, are the heroes, discovering new solutions to new problems through the ages.

The Woolmark Company is the global authority on merino wool and owns the iconic Woolmark logo. They commissioned the short film to celebrate and highlight the versatility and timelessness of wool, and to teach and inspire the next generation of designers and innovators in their Wool4School programme. Woolmark was heavily involved in the initial script, collaborating with Buck to imagine the strong narrative.

The story is told over four entertaining scenes, from Stone Age swamp to Bedouin desert to seventeenth-century Europe to an air-conditioned modern gym. The cartoon characters are humorously portrayed and reappear in new outfits throughout the tale. The stark contrasts between each setting reinforce the different problems faced by each character, as well as the clothing solutions made possible with wool. The Innovator and Shera, the sheep, are the heroes, discovering new solutions to new problems through the ages.

Garments are key to the story-telling, highlighting changes in fibre technology over time. Leaves, skins and even a hollow log are worn in the Stone Age scene, as the Innovator works out wool would be a lot more comfortable. Body odour is the challenge in the desert, with Bedouin women chasing him in his sweet-smelling, wool clothing. A village scene on a snowy night has the Innovator struggling through the cold in four heavy overcoats. His lightbulb moment occurs when Shera the sheep wanders from the warm pub out into the snow without noticing the cold. And in the final aerobics scene, all 13 characters regroup and transform from their period costumes into high-tech, high-energy merino exercise gear, making a total of 30 different outfits throughout the film.

The international team of animators used classic story-telling devices, and with no voice-over, the animation is universal, reaching a global audience. Every gesture, movement and prop is supported with original music and sound design by New York studio Antfood to describe what the characters are thinking and feeling. The characters are archetypal yet lively, with depth and wide appeal. 

The creators have cleverly communicated wool’s importance across cultures, across the ages and across situations. They have made it educational, colourful, upbeat and fun. The benefits of wool – warm in winter, cool in summer, light, moisture-wicking, odour-resistant, comfortable and soft ­– are highlighted through the scenes. Animation proved the perfect story-telling vehicle to traverse time and locations – and get a sheep to dance! “The film begs the question, ‘Who is the real innovator?’,” says Ari Kuchar from Woolmark. “Is it ‘man’ who has found use for wool? Or is wool the hero as it gets better over time with its natural properties and inherent versatility?”

The awards judges describe the work as “a beautifully realised entry. The perfect amount of restraint in the animation combined with clever character design and exquisite lighting and rendering sets the piece apart as the clear gold winner in this category.”

—Andrea Stevens
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