Year
2024
Client
Cardo
Category
Marketing Campaign
Product Duration
1 week
This project was all about building hype for the Packtalk Pro before launch. Cardo’s marketing team needed a short teaser that hinted at something big on the way — just enough to spark curiosity across our social channels. I concepted and animated the entire piece myself, working closely with the social media team to align on timing and messaging. The brief was tight: one week from idea to final delivery. It was one of those projects where the clock is against you, but the energy and excitement make it worth the sprint.
With so little time, I leaned into a minimal, moody look — all shadows, silhouettes, and light reveals. I wanted the design to feel confident but restrained, showing the attitude of the product without giving away the full picture. The animation was done in Blender, with final polish and pacing in After Effects. The style felt cinematic — fast cuts, deep contrast, subtle movement — something that would stand out when scrolling through a feed. I also adapted the piece for different formats (vertical, square, widescreen), keeping the same tone and flow across all platforms.
The idea was to let the product emerge from the dark — not to show it, but to suggest it. That sense of mystery gives the viewer a moment to imagine what’s coming, which builds anticipation naturally. I built a quick mood board on Pinterest, focusing on cinematic lighting and tech ads that use restraint as a storytelling tool. Once I rendered the first test, I knew the direction was right. It felt sharp and modern — a teaser that didn’t over-explain. That clarity of concept let me move fast and keep things focused through the whole process.
I started by testing the tone with a single key shot — just to make sure the idea landed visually — and then moved straight into production. Most of my focus was on flow and timing: making sure each reveal hit on beat. The only feedback I really got was around pacing, which I fine-tuned in After Effects. Because of the tight schedule, I reused a few existing assets and kept everything centered around the core mood. In the end, I delivered multiple versions for different platforms, and the response was great — lots of positive reactions on social, and it helped set the stage for what became Cardo’s most successful product launch to date. For me, it was proof that keeping things simple and purposeful can go a long way.
