Publicis Dublin’s script for Irish energy company ESB provided the perfect opportunity for Dublin-based studio Piranha Bar to collaborate with renown director Rick Thiele.

The beautifully poignant script demanded the ideal blend of Rick Thiele’s nuanced, emotionally-led storytelling and Piranha Bar’s passion for crafting engaging characters and fresh visual worlds.

The studio drew on its ongoing exploration of 3D animation that combines visual charm with the craft of an oil painting. By expanding its palette of software and developing seamless combinations of digital and analogue media, Piranha Bar created a unified aesthetic that sets the brand apart while elevating the characters’ journey.

Atmospheric hand-painted scenes were projected onto 3D environments, enabling cinematic camera movement within the paintings. To harmonise the characters and key props with their handcrafted context, the studio developed a cutting-edge painterly texturing system – using hand-painted brush strokes alongside procedurally generated painterly surfaces, grasses, pollen particles, and butterflies.

The majority of the studio’s passion for crafted 3D characters was poured into the creation of Grace & Sol. Grace’s inner turmoil and concern for the planet, her fateful encounter with ESB’s solar-panel personification Sol, and their epic journey of discovery required rich and deeply nuanced character development. Grace’s subtle expressions called for a refined, highly detailed approach that still complemented her looser, more impressionistic hair and wardrobe. Sol’s youthful charm was carefully balanced with his future-focused look and solar-robotic nature.

Piranha Bar assembled a world-class animation team to bring Rick Thiele’s vision for Grace and Sol’s narrative arcs to life. From feeling alone and uncertain, through her educational and fulfilling journey alongside Sol across the Irish landscape, Grace encounters hopeful glimpses of Ireland’s energy future and ultimately finds her like-minded tribe working toward a brighter tomorrow. Meanwhile, Sol’s search for meaning and purpose – guided by Grace – leads him back to his own tribe, where he takes his place at the forefront of the company’s drive toward a renewable energy future.

“Piranha Bar brought our vision for Grace and Sol to life with a level of detail and atmosphere that exceeded our expectations,” said Rick Thiele. “The painterly worlds they created gave our story an unforgettable richness, while the nuanced animation of Grace & Sol allowed us to explore their emotional arcs with real depth. It was a true creative partnership—one that elevated the project into something unique and resonant.”

Director: Rick Thiele

Creative Director: Richard Chaney
Head of Production: Emily Brady
Producer: Lizzie Jones
3D Leads: Simon Burke & Sam Boyd
3D Team: Flauberth Carvalho, Karolina Jankoic, Andrei Filip, Amy Downes & Eric Dolan
2D Team: Karolina Jankoic, Shaun Kelly & Emma Petersson
Compositing: Aidan O’Leary & Andrei Filip
Animation Lead: Scott Farrell
Animators: Shaun Kelly & John T. Coomey
Pipeline TD: Ricardo Ferro
Set Design & Matte Paintings: Thibaut Denise

Music: “Don’t Stop”, written by Christine McVie, produced by Brian Crosby / Caravan Music and featuring vocalist Lisa Lambe.
Music Supervision: We Are Theodore
Sound Design: Echolab
Sound studio: Mutiny

Agency: Publicis Dublin

Executive Creative Director: Ronan Nulty
Senior Agency Producer: Rachel Murray
Creative Director: Peter Dobbyn
Associate Creative Director: Pedro Gropo