the N

The-N on-air summer promo graphics - a case study

In this case study, I would like to show the different options presented to The-N for their summer on-air promo graphics. The challenge of this project was that the campaign needed to be adaptable to hold information for three new shows, but also be able to stand alone as an overall happy summer-sizzle announcement. It had to be modular. In addition to the on-air life, the campaign needed to be flexible enough to expand into other mediums as well. On a technical level everything had to be executable in After Effects, there was no time or budget to delve into CGI or live-action shoots.

The first option shown here is the concept Knickknack- box. The box represents a snapshot of teen life, a jumbled collection of objects and tidbits, witnesses of the ever so fleeting teenage experience. The objects also represent the juxtaposition of opposing ideas and emotions of the developing individual; silly, childish things live in the same world as the serious and reflective, the rebellions and the sentimental, the daring and the shy. The camera, the witness, sits atop the box and also serves as vehicle to a broader campaign, "show us your snapshots of a teen-summer" an extension of the campaign into the online community of The-N

In Tunnel the second option the emphasis is placed on the experience of traveling through the tunnel and the surprise effect of where we end up at the end of the journey. The location of the entry point and exit point of the tunnel can be exchanged. Per example instead of entering through a manhole on a schoolyard, we can also enter through the lid of a top-loading washing machine. The exit point offers even more variation, we can exit on the ocean, and the N-logo is a flotation device. In any case, the intention is that we end up in the "promised land of teenage summer with The-N.

The tunnel is constructed of layers of varying materials, cardboard, construction paper, felt, etc. making it very tactile, a quality that is very important in the world of The-N. 

At one point I experimented with having different objects enter and exit the tunnel on popsicle sticks— while we travel, it proved impractical though, since the speed at which we would have to travel would make the experience too frantic and confusing. And the popsicle sticks felt too young for the target group. 

Diorama, the third option presented to The-N and also the one that was then ultimately accepted.
The World of N shows the hustle bustle of a busy summer life where the unexpected is the expected. Contrasting concepts live harmoniously in this imaginative scenario. Big and small, skewed proportions, what lives in water flies through the sky, the watermelon becomes a half-pipe, what is stationary is moving, anything is possible this summer on The-N.

The reduced color palette and black&white treatment of the photographic elements were deliberately chosen to keep the look and feel more sophisticated, "grown-up" so it would not feel too young and fall into the age-category of Nickelodeon with a younger audience.

The device with which we enter the live action footage to promote new shows can change to reflect the content of the shows and to keep the promos interesting over the course of the summer.

Role: Strategy, Art Direction, Design, Storyboarding