In 2017 Gretel gave me the task of coming up with two different taglines for two distinct Fox movie networks they were rebranding: Fox Movies and Fox Family Movies. Based in Hong Kong, Fox Movies (Asia) broadcasts in 9 languages and 20 different countries across Asia, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

I developed two unique taglines, both built on the principle of modularity. Each was crafted so that different words or symbols could be tweaked within the tagline. This way, the messaging across all platforms could be customized to fit the content. This created plenty of opportunities to have fun with the language on air, on the web and in print. It gave the in-house editors a clear direction when choosing shots. It’s also a great way for viewers to connect with the brand, understanding that this network knows their favorite movies just as well as they do.

While EXPECT INCREDIBLE does work wonderfully with the content of the main brand, the emoji solution of WATCH AND ಠ_ಠ for Fox Family Movies was a real favorite for me. Emojis, inherently playful, seemed ideal for a channel filled with kids’ movies. Most importantly, it needed no translation for the different Asian countries in their portfolio.

It all started with a list of ascii faces I made on my phone, while standing in line for lunch one day at Sweet Green. From there, Art Director Andrew Brown and designer Maggie Tsao worked with the client to develop a style of emojis everyone agreed was own-able.

A brand set of faces was soon settled on, as well as the final lockup, including the logos that Art Director Andrew Brown designed. Naoko Hara handled the animation, and producer Forrest Heidel made sure our weekly 8pm video conference calls with Hong Kong were on time as efficient as humanly possible. Gretel ECD Ryan Moore oversaw the entire operation from his natural altitude of a foot taller than all of us.

Some grabs from a branded promo Gretel made, as part of the rebrand toolkit they delivered.