Directed by Mill+'s Steve Beck and Adam Grint, ComEd's latest spot "Retired" explains how to make the most of their new Energy Efficiency Program. And what's the forum for ComEd's discussions on energy efficiency? This advice comes straight from the lightbulb's mouth, and other electrical characters created by Mill+. Who knows more about wasting energy that a grumpy inefficient lightbulb hoping to be replaced and sent into retirement by a new energy saving bulb?

Steve and Adam worked closely with the team at PACO to develop and perfect each character. Yasemin B. Park, Senior Art Director at PACO, talks about the project, "From beginning to end it was brilliance in action watching these guys make our vision an on screen reality. Every challenge was exceeded. They worked diligently in crafting every detail and developing each character, literally bringing them to life."

Adam explains how it was done, "Each electrical character had to exude personality, from the cantankerous incandescent bulb on the edge of retirement to the outlet as the voice of reason, and the new kids on the block: the chirpy LED's and the CFL lamp. We didn't want the design to become too cartoony or stray from the classic design of these household objects. We decided to use elements of the real objects rather than simply placing facial features on the side, and we then used the animation to inject personality. For example, the incandescent bulb has a mouth made from filament wire and his nose is made from the internal glass structures of the bulb. It was just as important to stay true to the materials they were made of. Incandescents wire could flex and bend, but the glass stayed solid."

Steve gives more details, "With so many light sources in the spot, the lighting was going to make or break the illusion. The characters needed to illuminate the room, without being blown out. If a character moved, we wanted to see the light it creates shift the shadows around it. We wanted the viewer to come away from this seeing the real world just a little differently, seeing faces and characters in the mundane. "

You'll never leave the kitchen light on again!