Would you believe Oregon to be a magical place? The Oregon Tourism Commission seems to think so. They contacted China’s publicity firm of Wieden + Kennedy, who in turn hired Psyop and their subsidiary, Sun Creature Studio in Copenhagen, Denmark and Bordeaux, France, to produce a commercial in the style of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. Directed by Todd Mueller and Kylie Matulick of Psyop. It’s called “Only Slightly Exaggerated.”

Released Spring 2018 but uploaded March 20, 2019.

The commercial was noted by TKSST and at Travel Oregon‘s website.

A followup ad was released a year later, “Only Slightly (More) Exaggerated”:

Travel Oregon talked about the sequel here.

Medium.com analyzed the campaign here.

In 2021, out came a third commercial, “Still Only Slightly Exaggerated”:

Uploaded October 18, 2021.

Abstract: Produced by Wieden+Kennedy with animation by Psyop and Sun Creature Studio and the musical score composed by Jim Dooley, featuring the Oregon Symphony. Produced in consultation with the Pendleton Round-Up and Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Featuring the following Oregonians: Xuemei Simard (noodle-maker, owner, Stretch the Noodle); George Fletcher (Pendleton Round-up Hall of Fame in 1969); Cheryl Strayed, Ashton Eaton; Rainbow Dickerson (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); CJ McCollum and Elise Esposito; Bill Walton and Lori Matsuoka; and Ranger Melissa Meitle.

Travel Oregon noted the short here.

Visitors, let me know when you see a frog reading a newspaper.