“We can differentiate ourselves in the market with good visual representation and brand image, which effective marketing materials and a clear understanding of the product help to create”
– Emilia Laas, Marketing and Communications Specialist, Degritter
About the client
Degritter is a vinyl ultrasonic record cleaner manufacturer founded in Estonia in 2016. By now, the company has developed and produced three record cleaning devices: Mark I, Mark II, and Fonoteek RCM. The latest addition to this lineup was unveiled at this year’s world’s largest audio fair, Munich High End 2024, and will be available by the end of the year. What makes Degritter unique is their unwavering focus on research, product development, and design of record cleaning devices.
The field in which Degritter operates is very niche. It is for this reason that they have been moving rapidly abroad to reach the wider vinyl enthusiast community. Emilia, Degritter’s marketing and communications specialist, describes the company’s internationalization efforts as follows: “To succeed in the market, you need to understand your customer – their needs and concerns – and offer solutions through your products. Degritter’s success was based on the fact that the company’s creators solved a problem they had themselves – the desire to clean their records quickly and efficiently to eliminate crackling sounds on vinyl records. It turned out that existing solutions on the market at that time were either inefficient or demanded a lot of time and effort. The founders brainstormed and invented a fully automated ultrasonic cleaner for vinyl, which received positive feedback across various audiophile forums.”
Client request
Nordic Render has made 3D marketing animations and 3D renders for Degritter, which Degritter has used in its marketing materials such as machine introduction videos and flyers. Also, to introduce their latest machine, they turned to Nordic Render. Emilia continues: “Fonoteek RCM was in development for a long time, and we couldn’t take proper photos of it because it hadn’t been fully assembled yet. That’s why we were able to use rendered images in our marketing materials.”
Why did the client decide to request 3D marketing animations and 3D images?
Degritter has also used camera-recorded videos, but they acknowledge that 3D marketing animations are superior. Degritter’s two main reasons for using 3D visualization to illustrate their products are:
1. “Based on feedback from clients, it’s easier to explain things with visual materials. Degritter’s machine uses ultrasound to clean vinyl records – the machine contains ultrasonic transducers that cause water to vibrate, creating tiny bubbles that clean the deeper layers of vinyl records which cannot be reached by cloth or brush cleaning. Visualizing this process requires 3D animations and 3D renders because capturing such a large-scale process with traditional photography is very challenging.”
2. “For illustrating our website – so that anyone randomly browsing our site can quickly and clearly understand what we do and offer, 3D marketing animations are very effective. They eliminate the need for visitors to delve into lengthy descriptive text or interpret images; instead, they can simply watch a video that provides a clear overview. On our website, we feature Nordic Render’s 3D marketing animations showcasing various functions of Degritter’s Mark II machine, such as tank and filter replacements, ultrasonic cleaning, and more.”
The initial query from the client
Degritter provided Nordic Render with all necessary information: model details, existing image materials, and various views. Degritter also articulated their feedback and technical requirements clearly, enabling Nordic Render’s assigned designer Arno to perform their work effectively. Another party involved in the project was the creative agency Wulcan, which developed the animation storyboard. This is also used in major animation studios to quickly share the video concept with others and to receive feedback or consult as needed.
Stages of cooperation
1. Defining objectives. Degritter’s goal with their 3D marketing animation was to show people how their machine works and to obtain high-quality marketing materials.
2. Creating the scenario and storyboard: handled by the creative agency Wulcan, in collaboration with Nordic Render’s designer Arno.
3. 3D Modeling: carried out by 3D designer Arno.
4. Rendering the animation: preparation of the final video file.
5. Testing, feedback and refinement
Final result
Degritter stated that the goals set at the beginning of the project were achieved for them. Emilia continues: “Looking at our products’ main target audience, we can generally say that a visually descriptive image and video definitely convey more than a thousand words. People don’t have the patience to read long texts or brochures; they want a quick overview of how something works and what opportunities they can create for themselves with our machines. We can differentiate ourselves in the market with good visual representation and brand image, which effective marketing materials and a clear understanding of the product help to create.”
The collaboration with Degritter was exciting and successful for Nordic Render as it allowed to animate high-level 3D marketing animations. Creative agency Wulcan also contributed significantly by closely monitoring the visual quality in the videos (their goal was also to achieve world-class quality), which required producing the highest possible quality video. In the project, “quality” meant creating top-notch lighting and materials to make the product appear both epic and realistic. The lighting needed to create a sense of mystery while highlighting the product’s best features, which is reflected in the final result.
Comments from the Nordic Render designer
Nordic Render’s designer Arno comments on the project as follows: “From a technical standpoint, the challenge was creating and mimicking various physical effects. For instance, in the first Degritter 3D marketing animation, this involved simulating the drying of water drops. Later, in a bonus video, covering the record with foam and then drying it. Additionally, there was a clip where the camera had to fly through the machine’s water tank and be part of the water as it flowed through pipes into the filter with other dirt particles. We haven’t done such things elsewhere.”
Next, Nordic Render’s designer describes what can be illustrated through 3D marketing animation:
“Compared to a still image, a short 3D marketing animation (even a 10-second clip) allows for quickly displaying multiple types of information that wouldn’t fit, wouldn’t be suitable, or could be confusing on a single image. Take a product, for example – we can show it in different use cases, performing various functions, or add effective advertising texts that appear dynamically. Or consider real estate – we can sequentially display different views of a house in dynamic motion, providing visual stimulation to encourage the viewer to keep watching, even until the end of the video.”
Customer feedback
“Everything has been very pleasant, communication friendly, responses prompt. The need for a new collaboration project arises either when we develop the next new product requiring 3D renderings or 3D animations, or when there is a need to order new 3D renders for existing products,” said Emilia.
Do you need a partner to realize your idea? At Nordic Render, we think along with you throughout the entire collaboration and we consider it important to keep an eye on your progress and success even after the project is over.
Contact Helen Tiido, Nordic Render’s Project Manager, by email helen@nordicrender.com or by phone +372 5656 5946.
