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Asian Paints, Post Office Studios present the colourful trends of our time
MUMBAI: Post Office Studios conceptualised and produced five animated films to launch Asian Paints’ Colour Next series this year, which were released at the country's India Design ID.
Every year, Asian Paints launches an expertly researched and curated set of trends that reflect the aesthetics of our times, along with a carefully handpicked colour of the year; all of which they later translate into home décor ranges drawing inspiration from the same. The four diverse trends this year are Adulting, Enchanted, Harvest and F-lux, in addition to Asian Paints’ Colour of the Year for 2019: Awakening.
In order to best showcase these trends to the audience, the team at Post Office largely used 3D motion graphics to set tone to the visuals, seamlessly integrating the elements and thought process encapsulating these trends into a single narrative. Around 15 different artists with distinct creative styles worked on the films, all meticulously selected to match the visuals concerned.
The creatives, too, were designed to complement and bring out the year-long research undertaken by Asian Paints, rather than override the same in any way. The videos are thus reflective of a unique collaboration between a pioneer in design, Asian Paints, and an upcoming new media technology company that is focussed on innovative storytelling- resulting in the creation of a set of 3D animated films that are rarely seen in commercial advertising space in India.
Post Office Studios director of the film and chief creative officer Aditya Tawde said, “When Asian Paints approached us with their Colour Next brief, we were very excited to work on the project, due to its immense creative potential and the free reign that Asian Paints gave us in terms of treatment, as long as it drew from their research. We immediately did a few brainstorming sessions and conceptualised five unique ideas to match each trend. We then spent sufficient time detailing the particulars; while the films had a similar undertone, they were given distinct tonalities and visuals, complemented by music and voice overs that did justice to the theme concerned. The biggest challenge for the team was to execute all the five videos in just a month, which was difficult both technically as well as creatively, if a certain standard needed to be achieved. Since commercial briefs in India are rarely this avant-garde creatively, we wanted to push the creative boundaries to the extent possible. We therefore collaborated with 12 artists based out of countries such as USA, Russia, Belgium, Poland, UK, Italy, Spain and Chile, who worked in sync with our talented team based in Mumbai.”
He added, “We are particularly proud of the manner in which we approached the ‘Colour of the Year’ video, which was an amalgamation of grand visuals created by nine artists from across the globe, all tied together by their colour, ‘Awakening’. Being able to showcase a number of unique creative perspectives on a single colour gave us the opportunity to truly showcase our skill sets, and we’re very glad that we were able to successfully execute the same.”
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UK’s OnlyFans seeks US investor at $3bn valuation after owner’s death
The adult video platform is seeking stability after the death of its billionaire owner
LONDON: OnlyFans is looking for a new partner. The London-based adult video platform is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake of less than 20 per cent to Architect Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a deal that would value the business at more than $3bn (£2.2bn).
The move is driven by an urgent need for stability. Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American billionaire who owned OnlyFans, died of cancer last month at the age of 43, leaving the future of one of Britain’s most profitable privately held businesses suddenly uncertain.
The choice of Architect Capital is not arbitrary. The firm has deep expertise in financial services, which aligns neatly with OnlyFans’ ambitions to offer banking products to its creators, many of whom have long struggled to access basic financial services because of the nature of their work.
The numbers behind OnlyFans are, by any measure, staggering. The platform posted revenues of $1.4bn in the year to 30th November 2024, with a pre-tax profit of $684m, up four per cent on the prior year. Payments to creators totalled $7.2bn over the same period, a rise of nearly ten per cent. Radvinsky personally collected $701m in dividends from the business in 2024 alone, on top of more than $1bn in such payments he had already received. The platform, run through its parent company Felix International, hosts 4.6m creator accounts, with performers keeping 80 per cent of subscription proceeds and the platform pocketing the remaining 20 per cent. It has 377m fan accounts in total.
The current minority stake talks represent a notable scaling back of ambitions. In January, OnlyFans was reported to be in discussions with Architect about selling a majority stake of 60 per cent. Before that, the company had explored a sale to a consortium led by Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Neither deal materialised.
OnlyFans has built an enormously lucrative business on content that mainstream finance has long refused to touch. Now, with its owner gone and a $3bn valuation on the table, it is looking for the kind of respectable institutional backing that might finally persuade the banks to take its calls.
