thoughts BEHIND THE DESIGN

With this 20k Flash ad, I was presented with an interesting challenge. I was to design a 10- to 15-second spot, under 20k, with audio, using two of the client brand elements (a vector logo and a vector illustration of a computer chip) and two client message statements ("intense music" and " intense processing"). The spot was based on a storyboard that displayed the computer chip and the two message statements, and resolved with the client logo, which, if clicked upon, would jump the user to the client's main site. The vector logo I was presented with weighed in at 4k, and the computer processor chip illustration (also vector) was another 3k; that left me with about 13k to stretch over 10 seconds.

Here's how I did it:

First I identified the essentials ”those elements that had to be in the spot: the computer processor chip illustration, the logo art, the phrases (message statements), and some sort of audio loop and sound effects.

Next I identified the emotional impact I thought the spot could communicate. I knew I was dealing with a chip maker that bases its business on making the fastest processors you can buy. So the first word I taped on my monitor was "fast." Also, the spot was appearing on SonicNet and Shockwave's online radio, "FlashRadio." This meant a target audience of 17 to 34 year olds. So the next word I taped up was "extreme." Finally, since the storyboard was clearly aimed at presenting the client's processor as having the power to handle "intense music," I taped up "music." I made a visual target of my words and placed "fast" in the center, "extreme" in the middle circle, and "music" in the outer circle. Because the spot's messaging says "intense music" you might think I would have chosen "music" as the central focus. Instead, I tried to get to the root of what the spot needed to communicate in order to be successful. The big picture was that the client makes fast processors that can handle a lot of audio and visual action. Emotional focus: fast.

Now that I had my focus and the essential elements identified, I was ready to go to work. The processor chip art presented a unique challenge. The chip was visually unacceptable when scaled down to fit on the stage, so I opted to present different perspectives, all magnified and all brought in with tight and quick cuts. This was successful and acceptable to the client because I carefully chose perspectives that displayed its brand. Every angle had either the client brand name, the chip model name , or both displayed. By doing this, I was able to kill three birds with one stone. I reinforced the rhythm with the quick cuts, which in turn supported my target word "fast," and I was able to display the brand. Also, by reusing one vector element (the chip), but changing its perspective, I was able to save k (file size ) and keep the spot compelling.