Problem to be solved:
Pelican is widely known for its toughness and utility—but not necessarily for its emotional appeal or creative storytelling. This limits how the brand resonates beyond its core user base. In a crowded holiday season, traditional product marketing wasn’t enough to break through or engage new audiences in a memorable way.
My Approach:
For Pelican’s first holiday campaign driving D2C engagement and overall brand awarenbess, I chose to use stop motion animation to present Pelican in a way that felt fresh and unexpected. While the brand is deeply rooted in toughness and utility, this was a chance to show a more playful, creative side—especially during a season built on storytelling and emotion. I partnered closely with a stop motion animator to develop a series of short, visually-driven vignettes. Each one highlighted a Pelican product in a specific setting, using charm, wit, and handcrafted detail to draw in viewers. We kept the tone elevated but fun—something that could resonate with both existing fans and completely new audiences. Each vignette was designed to speak to a different audience segment—photographers, adventurers, parents, travelers, collectors—through small storytelling cues and tailored visual language. It allowed us to broaden our reach while still staying true to the Pelican brand. I also planned for modular use of the assets across various channels—organic social, paid media, email, and all digital touchpoints.. The final animations delivered exactly what we hoped for: highly shareable, memorable content that boosted engagement and expanded brand perception. Throughout the process, I ensured the creative direction was consistent across each piece. We used tight storyboarding to maintain clarity and pacing, focusing on strong product visuals and clean compositions.
My Role
I led the concept development and visual strategy for the stop motion campaign. I set the creative tone, defined the storytelling approach, and ensured the work aligned with Pelican’s brand identity while pushing it into fresh, emotionally engaging territory. I collaborated closely with the animator throughout the process—guiding storyboards, shot composition, pacing, and product staging to maintain clarity and impact. I provided detailed art direction to make sure the look and feel of each vignette was consistent, on-brand, and optimized for social platforms. I also acted as the bridge between creative and marketing—ensuring that the final animations served broader campaign goals, spoke to multiple audience segments, and were versatile enough to be repurposed across channels.