REVOLUTIONIZE THE WAY YOU CREATE

In 2024, Hornet got a call from SketchUp, the intuitive 3D modeling software used by both professionals and hobbyists. They had a big year on the horizon, with a series of software updates in the pipeline that would dramatically change the way people use the product. This included AI integration and huge leaps in texturing rendering, and interoperability.

 

They wanted a revolutionary look to reflect this product evolution. One that would change brand perception from utilitarian to visionary. The precise deliverables were as yet undetermined, which opened the door for blue sky thinking about the brand, and how to best celebrate it as the ideal 3D ideation tool.

Before we could refresh the look, we needed a creative platform to anchor this visual leap forward. We crafted a campaign line, “Your Vision Realized”, along with a manifesto that crystallized their brand proposition. These 3 words ignited an explosion of design and experiential ideas from the team.

 

My role was Creative Director, Strategist & Copywriter, under Hornet ECD Daniel Fries, – directing a team of designers, animators, music vendors, and web developers. Ryan McCree was the account guru. Li Liang Maroney was our producer. Adam Jesberger was on board with me as art director and fellow brainiac.

HERE TO THERE

We kicked off a design sprint and Carla Dasso generated a ton of beautiful storyboards that the brand quickly fell in love with. An arrow graphic motif brought the entire concept to life, serving as a visual shorthand to illustrate getting from here to there. From sketch to schematic. From vision to reality.

I developed a modular copy system pairing words from different stages of the creative process. These were included in a comprehensive campaign brand book I created in Figma, that included extensive guardrails on how to design, animate and speak about this new rebrand.

Eventually, the expression of the platform came into focus: Create a short film series called "Visions Revealed", with users speaking candidly about the source of their creativity. What inspires them & informs their process. Let them be ambassadors for the brand by speaking about their passions. A branded microsite could host the interviews. Cut-downs could become bite-size chunks for social.

I developed a modular copy system pairing words from different stages of the creative process. These were included in a comprehensive campaign Figma brand book that included extensive guidelines and guardrails on how to design, animate and speak about this new rebrand.

We didn’t want to get mired down in promoting specific features. We wanted to stay big and aspirational, to elevate the brand and shift perception. Big ideas have long legs. The creative spark is rich territory for expression that SketchUp can mine for years to come.

A rigorous, international casting call yielded our first 8 candidates. We flew them to Mexico City and did an exhaustive 2-day shoot with multiple concurrent sets in a mid-century office building in DF. ECD Daniel Fries was also our director. Sean Roberts kept it all running smoothly as Line Producer. Our client and grade A stand-up guy Stephen Bury came down to hang out with us on set and sample some incredible local restaurants each evening. Lead animator Vincent Raineri created a library of bold text and arrow animations to use as projected backdrops on set, to give the entire film series a signature look that we could leverage in other mediums, both print and digital. Yumi Nakamura and her team at Thinkcreate.us built our microsite in tandem with the shoot. Please check it out HERE 

Our work with SketchUp and their parent company Trimble is ongoing, and I look forward to staying in my role as creative lead for whatever new challenge they throw our way.

 

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