This is a multi-stages project that incorporates work from my Certificate 4 and Diploma studies.
The packaging and brand were developed as part of a creative thinking course where we were tasked with creating a new energy drink brand along with some form of creative packaging. The resealable Tetra Pack seen here is packaging which I designed so that careful arrangement on the shelf would give more prominence to the brand name, utilising all the surfaces and yet creating a clean minimal look.
During my Diploma work I was asked to take an old project and create or extend it into a new project. I decided that my drink needed an animated commercial/promo, which you see here. It features the carton animated in Blender with some hand drawn flourishes animated in Photoshop.
Rationale
Why You?
After researching a number of energy drinks, I found that they are exclusively marketed toward very athletic people who appear to live a sporty, beachside, action filled life.
There were no products aimed at the everyday people who don’t fit that mould.
I decided there needed to be a drink for everyone else - A drink for YOU. As individual as YOU.
This is not just about being a sporting powerhouse. YOU is to get you through your busy day at the office, in the home, where ever you are and what ever you are doing. YOU are an individual and espressing that by chosing this product.
All local ingredients from the lemons and ginger to the honey used to sweeten the drink. All natural, slightly fizzy, spring water.
Process
The process began with modelling the Tetra Pak as I couldn't find a suitable model as it was gong to need to be rigged for animation. Next the music was chosen and the tempo established. I started storyboarding on paper but decided to move to After Effects as I could start by describing the action in text on screen and have that synced to the music. This sped the process up giving me a good feel for the pacing while building the template for the final compile of the animated sequences.
The model was animated using the lattice modifier. Basic block out movements were then added to in subsequent passes and the timing and easing curves adjusted. The finished sequences were output as TIFF sequences. These were imported into Photoshop so that the overlay hand drawn flourishes could be created. The flourishes were exported on their own with transparency so that more control over compositing could be achieved in After Effects for the final assemble.
While I did enter this into the 2024 AADC awards, it did not make the cut though it was a portion made it into the sizzle reel at the beginning of the event!
I really enjoyed taking this project from a some brainstorming about a new energy drink for a youth market, creating some good looking and well thought out packaging and finally creating the animation. This is the kind of long term thinking I love.
