CGI Product Replacement and VFX Post Production: Beverage Brand Case Study

We executed comprehensive image post-production for a major holiday campaign for the Pepsi brand. The main task of our team was to perform a fully realistic digital product replacement on the final video material. The application of advanced 3D image generation and deep color correction allowed us to perfectly integrate the new digital model with the live-action environment while maintaining the highest standards of photorealism.

The Challenge: Seamless 3D Product Integration in Live Action Footage

Creating visual materials for a global brand requires absolute control over logo exposure and the shape of the flagship product. We collaborated with the Efektura agency and took responsibility for refining a commercial featuring live actors.

The challenge involved digitally replacing physical objects in the recorded shots with the latest beverage cans generated in graphics software. As a technological partner, we had to ensure the smooth integration of the new cans into the holiday brand identity. The digital can had to react to the lighting of the film set exactly like the original physical prop held by the actor.

What is Digital Product Replacement in Advertising?

Digital product replacement is an advanced VFX process that swaps physical items in recorded video with photorealistic CGI models. It allows brands to update packaging or labels on existing commercials without the need for expensive physical reshoots.

High-quality VFX compositing guarantees that the computer-generated object perfectly matches the lighting and camera movement of the original footage. This technology provides incredible flexibility for global campaigns, allowing marketers to adapt content for different regions and product variations effortlessly.

Our CGI Production Pipeline for Virtual Products

Working on recorded live action material requires a powerful technological foundation. We started the process with meticulous cleanup, frame by frame, preparing the perfect space for embedding the virtual product.

3D Modeling and Photorealistic Redshift Rendering

We built mathematically accurate models of the aluminum packaging using 3ds Max. Applying the Adobe Illustrator vector environment guaranteed absolute sharpness for all logos and brand identity elements. The Redshift rendering engine allowed us to achieve authentic light reflection and shading phenomena. The digitally refined material perfectly harmonized with the set design visible in the camera shots.

Liquid Simulation for Appetizing Condensation Effects

Creating the appropriate level of refreshment required recreating the physics of atmospheric phenomena. We ran complex liquid simulations based on high-performance GPU workstations. We covered the virtual can with microscopic water droplets. Our custom 3D animation accurately reproduced the natural phenomenon of light refracting on a condensed surface. Such refined detail instantly stimulates viewer imagination and highlights the chill of the advertised beverage.

3D Tracking and Advanced VFX Compositing in Nuke

Flawless placement of an object in a moving shot is the foundation of digital filmmaking. The key production tool was an advanced matchmove system allowing us to precisely transfer the trajectory of the camera and the hands of the actor directly into the digital world.

Agata Nawrocka and Lukasz Swierczynski led the final advanced visual effects processes within the Nuke software architecture. The perfect merging of computer-generated lighting layers with the holiday film set environment built a uniform and natural image. Meticulous color correction strengthened scene saturation while preserving the characteristic cool glow of the aluminum.

The Business Impact of CGI Product Replacement

Our execution proved the immense profitability of investing in premium digital formats. Utilizing CGI technology to replace the cans gave the Pepsi brand unprecedented flexibility in shaping its current visual communication.

The delivered solution allows the client to instantly modify product graphic design directly on the finished corporate video production. This helps them avoid the massive costs associated with organizing new filming days. The resulting control over product exposure directly fulfills market goals and facilitates rapid responses to changing promotional trends through smart visual communication.

VFX Technologies and Production Team

The digital replacement of dynamic shots requires an excellent production environment and full trust among experts from multiple fields. 3ds Max and Redshift provided precise 3D geometry topology linked with photorealistic light projection and aluminum reflections. Tracking and Matchmove systems analyzed pixel movement in the video material and mapped it in digital space. Particle simulation systems generated condensation droplets on the material surface. Nuke handled flawless cleanup of unnecessary original recording elements and the seamless application of rendered objects onto the film frame. Adobe After Effects alongside Photoshop and Illustrator handled the preparation and sharpening of the vector logo components.

The project was executed by a dedicated team of specialists. Project Manager Lukasz Swierczynski also handled the final Compositing. Michal Malyska developed the digital assets as the 3D Artist. Agata Nawrocka executed the advanced Compositing.