tNavigator F1-themed illustration advert

The brief

RFD approached us to create a new advertisement to promote their modelling technology solution – ‘tNavigator’. The advertisement was to be set up for one size so as to appear on a digital screen at various locations around Nice airport. The sole aim being to attract delegates moving through the airport on their way to and from an industry exhibition held in nearby Monaco.

Design Inc had previously established a new cartoon illustration advertisement style for the client which promoted the different benefits of the software and featured an image depicting the life of four company ‘ambassadors’. The client required this new advert to be illustrated in the same style.

The approach

Due to the fact that tNavigator’s own values were based around the concept of performance, speed & technology, coupled with the fact the event was being held in Monaco, we made the strategic decision for the advert to be designed with a Formula 1 theme.

The design was an illustration advert featuring the company’s brand characters tNav Tim and GeoJim, supporting the tNavigator-sponsored F1 team passing the waved chequered flag to win the world-famous Monaco Grand Prix. And, with the strapline; ‘tNavigator: the winning formula’, the advert promoted the fact that the product was way ahead of its competition.

The bombshell!

With just a few days to go til the advertising deadline, we were way ahead of schedule and had provided the final proofs to the client. The next step, based on them providing final approval, would simply be for us to set up the artwork to the supplied spec for the screen.

That’s when we received this bombshell message from the client:
“There has been a mistake at the airport. Some of the screens are no longer available and they have offered us some different size screens. We now need 13 more adverts – all completely different sizes. And some of them need to be print ads. What can we do?”

For us, changes to an agreed brief are not uncommon and we are certainly set up to expect the unexpected. However, this was certainly a big ask.

The problem

The original artwork had been specifically illustrated for one single portrait dimension and also set up for digital screen resolution.
The new airport adverts however, were not only different dimensions (some much wider) but because some needed to be set up for print, it would mean re-illustrating the artwork to include more ‘story’ for a wider width. And moreover, ensuring the new artwork was created at a higher resolution for printing purposes.

The Design Inc project managers stepped forward to work out a strategic plan which would enable us to deliver the solution. Speaking directly to the airport’s agency, they gathered all specifications for each of the advert sizes and also managed to secure a deadline extension of two additional days.

The solution

The design team were moved away from non-urgent projects and worked together solidly to re-illustrate all the various elements of the image. Each was created as ‘layers’ so the designers could ‘reposition’ for each airport advertisement size & shape.
The F1 car needed to appear bottom centre although, for some adverts, it would be positioned further over the finishing line.
The image of the pits was redrawn and extended to work for wider dimensions. Finally, the flag waver was recreated in such as way that we could move that element higher/lower depending on the advert dimensions.

Over the next four days the design team worked non-stop in providing the new, high-res illustrations whilst keeping the client informed at all stages. We are proud to confirm that, with minutes to spare, all airport advertisements were sent to the media booking agency. A few sighs of relief and one very happy client!

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Design Inc is a full-service digital marketing agency specialising in strategic creative communications.