CINEMA 4D Visualizations Help Hunter Stoves Increase Sales by 82%

Mark Mitchell, freelance designer of the year 2009 finalist, creates hot visuals for Hunter Stoves.

Award-winning central heating and stove manufacturer Hunter Stoves is one of the largest manufacturers of multi-fuel stoves in the United Kingdom and Ireland. By illustrating stoves in CINEMA 4D instead of building and photographing prototypes, Hunter has revolutionized its production and marketing. Sales have increased by 82% since the release of the new catalog featuring stoves created in CINEMA 4D.

Before Hunter started using CINEMA 4D, the company found the task of creating a catalog time-consuming and costly. The lengthy process of setting up photo shoots and finding a location was becoming quite a challenge.

Hunter had a recurring problem: its marketing material could not keep pace with its manufacturing. This was mainly due to the fact product prototypes were often delayed or unavailable for photography, which meant delays in printing catalogs and getting them out to the dealerships. Another problem was the location shoots, as they were difficult to find and very costly due to the sheer number of shoots required to fill the 40-page catalog.

Freelancer Mark Mitchell suggested Hunter could cut its costs by creating 3D models of stoves in CINEMA 4D and combining them with photos of real fireplaces.

Camera mapping allowed Hunter to combine a real photo of a fireplace with a 3D model of the stove directly in CINEMA 4D, where the 3D model literally interacts with the photo. For example, the 3D stove is able to cast a realistic shadow onto items in the photo.

“Camera mapping was one of the key features in this project. It solved the problem of shooting a stove on location. Now, we can put any stove in any fireplace without leaving the office,” said Mark.

Using this method has revolutionized Hunter’s marketing materials. CINEMA 4D has opened up Hunter’s way of developing new product lines quickly and more cost effectively.

“CINEMA 4D is a great tool for this work, quick and easy to use. The workflow couldn’t have been better. I would recommend any fellow creative to try CINEMA 4D. It’s a cost-effective package that is both a powerful and reliable tool,” explained Mark.

Due to budget constraints at Hunter, some photographs of stoves from the old catalog were re-used in the new catalog. When staff and customers at Hunter were asked: “Which of the images are photos and which are 3D illustrations?” the majority thought the photos were 3D illustrations and vice-versa. Now, Hunter uses 3D illustrations for all of its marketing material, preferring the level of control and detail that can be achieved in short timescales.

Mark Mitchell, an experienced freelance designer, has been taking advantage of these levels of control and detail for more than 10 years. He has built up a vast range of 3D, illustration, and graphics projects. His clients include Carlton TV, CarTop, FIFA, Volvo and Homebase, along with clients in and around the UK, Italy, Denmark and Spain.

Nominated by his customers for ‘Freelance Designer of the Year’, Mark was among 350 other contestants nominated. The judges managed to whittle it down to 52 finalists, where Mark was one of six finalists in his category: Design. The other categories awarded were: Advertising, PR & Communications, Events, Editorial, Public Affairs, Marketing, and Digital Excellence.

“The awards ceremony at the Design Council was a great experience. The awards had received their greatest number of nominees in its history and the level of work was very high – the competition was stiff!” said Mark.

Not only has Mark been recognized nationally for his design skills using CINEMA 4D, he has also helped Hunter increase its sales using the latest technology.

For More Information

Mark Mitchell - www.mediaset.co.uk
Hunter Stoves - www.hunterstoves.co.uk
Design Council - www.designcouncil.org.uk
Freelance Designer of the Year - www.freelanceroftheyear.co.uk
Event Organizer and Main Sponsor - www.xchangeteam.com