nailgun recently created a new promo for the ESPNU, the college sports-lover version of ESPN. The centerpiece of the clip is the updated logo, stylized as a photo-real 3D animationl
Imbued with youth and energy, the ‘hallmark’ spot begins with a shot of a richly colored sunset. The camera quickly tracks backward revealing all of the subtle details of the campus — 3D animated sidewalks, signage, stadiums, athletic track. Halfway through the spot a stream of animated balls from different sports soar through the campus as if propelled by a tremendous gust of air. It ends with a shot of a dramatically lit ESPNU logo bathed in stadium lights and flurrying tickertape.
You can see the spot here, and read the full press release after the break.
nailgun* Schools ESPNUDesign/Production House Rebrands College Sports Network______________________NEW YORK, NY — What’s life like on the campus of ESPNU? As envisioned by design/production studio nailgun*, for the rebrand of ESPN’s college sports channel, it’s a college sports-lovers paradise where stadium lights perfectly illuminate paths made of track and field lanes, and every other building is a different ballpark. The centerpiece of the rebrand is the ”hallmark” spot that in lush stylized photo-real 3D animation defines the world of ESPNU. The network package includes an array of elements including IDs, bumpers, promo packages, logo treatments and more.”Creatively we wanted ESPNU to feel more like part of the overall ESPN brand, but also have its own unique identity,” Michael Waldron, Creative Director of nailgun* says. ”We wanted to give it a real sense of place — a destination where college sports fans need to go not just for football and basketball, but for all sports played at the college level. It’s stylized with a bit of twist.”Imbued with youth and energy, the ‘hallmark’ spot begins with a shot of a richly colored sunset. The camera quickly tracks backward revealing all of the subtle details of the campus — 3D animated sidewalks, signage, stadiums, athletic track. Halfway through the spot a stream of animated balls from different sports soar through the campus as if propelled by a tremendous gust of air. It ends with a shot of a dramatically lit ESPNU logo bathed in stadium lights and flurrying tickertape.”Fans of college sports are different then other sports fans, it’s deeply rooted in who they are in terms of where they went to college or grew up,” Waldron says. ”Because of that we wanted this to have a real sense of place.”Although the basic ESPNU logo was working for the brand, Waldron and Erik van der Wilden, nailgun*’s Director of Animation + Editorial, note that it was somewhat under-utilized and lacking in a sense of gravitas.”The logo was effective but we wanted to give it a more heroic look,” van der Wilden says. ”We wanted it to look like something that would be the centerpiece of the ESPNU campus. We gave it a more metallic look, and added a lot details in terms of lighting and color to give it more drama and depth.”About nailgun*With a strong belief that great art derives from making creative choices and sticking to them, veteran graphic designer Michael Waldron and editor/animator Erik van der Wilden launched motion graphics house nailgun* (www.nailgun.tv) in 2003. Since then the BDA Gold award-winning creative shop has been pushing boundaries while exceeding client goals with standout work for top advertising agencies and broadcast networks. Their clients include such companies as HBO, HGTV, ESPN, National Geographic, Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, Publicis and McCann-Erickson NY and Ogilvy & Mather. nailgun* is represented by The Ashy Agency (www.ashyagency.com) for broadcast work. For more information contact Brett Ashy at 323.464.ASHY (2746).Creative CreditsClient: ESPNProject: ESPNU network rebrandProduction/Design/Post: nailgun*, New YorkMichael Waldron: Creative Director + Live Action DirectorErik van der Wilden: Director of Animation + EditorialElena Olivares: Managing DirectorMusic/Sound Design: Stephen Arnold Music, Dallas, TXWeb Resources:Click here to watch the ‘Hallmark’ spot for ESPNU:Click here for more info about nailgun*:Click here for more info about ESPNU:
