To promote Target’s youth reading programs, Target enlisted the vision of Motion Theory director Chris Riehl to create a playful yet emotional appeal for parents to take ‘The Pledge’ to read to their kids.

The spot, entitled “I Will,” seamlessly melds live-action and animation to present a magic window into a book that becomes a metaphor for a child’s life. Inspired by children’s books featuring cut-outs in which a personal photo can be inserted, “I Will” follows a girl from childhood to high school graduation, showing a new step with every flip of the page.

Each page represents a different stage of the young girl’s life as she’s magically transported into a different world. We see her transformed into a seashore crab, then a courageous knight battling dragons. As she grows, she becomes the star dancer in the talent show – and on the last page, she beams in cap and gown.

Chris strove to present a distinctive age sensibility with each new page by showing a stylistic progression. In the girl’s earlier years, Chris chose simple color blocking and a cartoon influence, and as she grows, shots become more complex, with high-end CG alongside beautiful real-world lighting and shadow details. 

While lighthearted and fun, the spot presented a unique technical challenge for Chris and his team. Chris envisioned executing a complicated virtual handheld camera move that would look into a book – not an easy task. He and his team underwent extensive R&D to achieve this shot, which included building physical prop books and shooting them to obtain authentic tracking data. The shots were then refined over and over to strike the perfect balance of playfulness, technical precision, and heartfelt storytelling.