Polar “Pedroso”
Actor • Voice Over • Brand Ambassador and Spokesperson • Teamwork
Empresas Polar, a Venezuelan conglomerate founded in 1941, holds the distinction as the largest and most renowned brewery in the country. Beyond its brewing operations, the company has diversified into a diverse range of industries, primarily focused on food processing and packaging, with a global presence as well. Its subsidiaries encompass Alimentos Polar, Cervecería Polar, and PepsiCola Venezuela. Polar Beer, the original beer produced by Empresas Polar and its flagship product, stands as a testament to the company’s success.
After the positive experience during the Farmatodo campaign, I was fortunate enough to be selected to join the Empresas Polar “Pedroso” campaign.
This was the first time an animatronic was used in a Venezuelan production. “Pedroso” was the name of the main character, a sassy member of a friend group where only the spectator could see him as a giant polar bear. While the surname Pedroso is real, it was a clever wordplay with PEDRO (Peter) and OSO (bear). Another unique aspect was that the cast members used their real names for their characters in the series.
The initial set of ads were filmed in Los Angeles, California, to facilitate support from the tech animatronic company. Later, we relocated to Miami, Florida, as a convenient meeting point for both the Venezuelan and L.A. teams.
During filming, one person wore the bear costume and had a visor connected to cameras in the bear’s nose, allowing them to look outside. The actor responsible for Pedroso’s voice was behind the cameras, wearing a set of sensors connected to his face. These sensors remotely controlled the bear’s expressions. The eyes and ears were controlled separately by two members of the animatronic team. This project was incredibly challenging, requiring a dedicated and synchronised team to work effectively.
While filming, Pedroso’s dialogue could be listened behind the cameras where the actor was located. Due to the nature of the project, we had to dub the audio for all the ads during post-production. I also provided the voice for the granny in the “Birthday Party Crashers” ad and the parrot in the “Little Parrot” ad.
The campaign’s success led to an additional contract as Brand Ambassadors and training as a spokesperson for all the cast members.
However, due to Venezuela’s political landscape, the “Pedroso” campaign was indefinitely put on hold.
