When Libresse and Bodyform launched the Wombstories campaign film in the summer of 2020, they gave audiences a refreshingly honest depiction of periods, miscarriage, pain, childbirth, puberty, menopause, and beyond. The breadth of these ‘womb stories’ was perfectly encapsulated in the choice of six artists brought in by director Nisha Ganatra and ad agency AMV BBDO for the spot, which pinballed between textile-based creations, hand-painted visuals, 2D and 3D animation, and live action clips.

Of course, drawing on different artists in an animated film has been done prior to 2020, but the volume of ads now employing this approach has snowballed. Later that year came John Lewis and Partners’ Christmas spot – its first of the pandemic era – directed by Oscar Hudson, which was aligned with the overriding message of 2020: to support others where you can. The brand did so with the launch of a charity fundraiser, but also by sharing the work out between eight different artists and studios, among them Andy Gent and MegaComputeur.

If six or eight artists sounds like a lot to manage, then spare a thought for the team at Droga5 London who commissioned no less than 17 creatives to provide the visuals for its recent Amazon Books spot, That Reading Feeling Awaits, which celebrates the range of stories and emotions people experience through reading.