“We just had brain surgery,” Ben says as he and his animating partner Julia sit on a couch with their faces and heads fully bandaged, adorned with bright pink brains and “wounds”.

“And Julia had some German Shepherd ears put in. So we’ve squeezed this in between.”

Meet my new best friends Ben&Julia. Alright. Ok fine, they’re not my besties, but you’ll want them to be too after watching this video. Submarine Channel interviewed the French-Swiss pair about their impressive body of work which combines the bizarre and other-worldly with the humor and reliability of the commercial world. From Swatch and MTV to European cracker brand St. Michel, Ben&Julia create fantasy worlds that draw the viewers in and quite literally force you to crack a smile. Characters are a mix of 2D and 3D animation as well as a surprising amount of puppetry, all illustrating the whimsical worlds existing inside the Art Director’s brains. Whether directing and producing music videos, short films or commercials, there appear to be no limits to where these creative minds will take you.

Par example: Kak & Kouk are two brother bears, one with a slightly lower… IQ than the other. Kak can hear and read and is generally quite intelligent. Kouk eats sausages. Yep, that’s it. He eats sausages until eventually transforming into the shape of a sausage. Doesn’t sound like much of a plot, but the care-free and wildly out there aesthetic the pair bring to the screen is absolutely intoxicating.

“As artists, we aren’t doing much. We’re not helping in Africa or anything,” Ben continues. “We’re just bringing pure happiness and good vibes for everyone.” Good vibes indeed, Ben. Good vibes indeed.