Brand Activation Motion Campaign
This self-directed campaign explores how one product photography session can become multiple brand-ready marketing assets. Using a Lightroom → Photoshop → After Effects workflow, I transformed a static product image into two connected motion experiences designed for Instagram and TikTok. The goal was to demonstrate how intentional post-production, motion design, and storytelling can extend the value of existing brand photography without requiring additional production resources.
Project Snapshot
Brand Designer, Photographer, Motion Designer
2 days
Product reveal motion asset, brand story motion asset, social media campaign concepts, photography post-production
Adobe Lightroom · Adobe Photoshop · Adobe After Effects · Adobe Media Encoder
Open Water previously shared the original photography to their Instagram Stories, validating alignment with the brand's existing visual direction. Building on that foundation, this project demonstrates how a single photography asset can be transformed into multiple deployable marketing experiences through intentional creative direction and motion design.
Key Outcomes:
Create a social-first campaign that captures Open Water's connection between product, environment, and lifestyle while demonstrating how one photography asset can support multiple marketing touchpoints.
The campaign focused on three objectives:
Campaign Asset Map — from single photography session to two motion concepts to Instagram delivery
The campaign was built around two complementary storytelling directions that could work independently while feeling like part of the same campaign.
Product Reveal
The first concept introduces the environment before revealing the product. Animated movement, typography, and illustrated wave elements gradually direct attention toward the bottle, creating a sense of discovery that mirrors the brand's clean, refreshing personality.
Brand Moment
The second concept shifts from product introduction to emotional storytelling. By placing the bottle within moving ocean footage, subtle camera movement, and ambient sound, the asset reinforces Open Water's connection to nature and mindful living.
Together, the two concepts demonstrate how one photography foundation can support multiple campaign messages while maintaining a consistent visual language.
Two campaign directions developed from one photography foundation.
Product Reveal Animation
Brand Story Motion Asset
Supporting Production Assets
In-platform preview Product Reveal (left) · Brand Moment (right)
Photography & Color Development
The campaign began with on-location product photography at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami. Images were developed in Lightroom to establish a consistent color palette, exposure, and tonal balance across every campaign asset.
Side-by-side comparison showcasing a color grade that transforms a hazy sky into a vibrant, high-contrast landscape.
Image Compositing & Retouching
Photoshop was used to isolate the product and hand for animation while preparing layered assets for motion design. One image required detailed reconstruction of a partially obscured thumb so the final throwing motion would read naturally once animated.
Every edit focused on creating flexible assets that could move convincingly without distracting from the product.
Demonstration of meticulous retouching where a thumb was digitally reconstructed to improve the hand's positioning.
Motion Design & Final Production
Using After Effects, I animated each composition through keyframe animation, typography, compositing, and branded graphic elements. Ambient sound and subtle camera movement helped reinforce the intended emotional tone while maintaining focus on the product.
Final assets were exported through Adobe Media Encoder in platform-ready formats for social deployment.
Technical look at the Adobe After Effects workspace detailing the complex layering and keyframing used for the animation.
Campaign System
The finished campaign demonstrates how a single photography session can evolve into multiple marketing assets through intentional creative direction and structured production.
Instead of treating photography, animation, and post-production as isolated tasks, each stage was designed to build on the previous one, resulting in a cohesive campaign system that could be expanded across future marketing channels.
Product Reveal
A motion-first social asset designed to build curiosity before introducing the product through movement, typography, and branded graphic elements.
Brand Moment
An atmospheric storytelling piece using environmental footage, ambient sound, and subtle motion to reinforce Open Water's connection to nature and simplicity.
This project reinforced for me that marketing design is less about creating individual assets, and more about building a creative system that can adapt across touchpoints. Working through each phase, from photography to final motion, gave me a firsthand look at how each stage influences the next. This allowed me to build a more cohesive and efficient production workflow.
Project Takeaways
Campaign Design
Translated a single photography asset into multiple social-first campaign concepts designed for different storytelling goals.
Motion Design
Created branded motion experiences using compositing, animation, typography, and sound design.
Creative Direction
Developed the campaign concept, visual language, and execution independently without an external brief.
Content Systems
Built a repeatable workflow for transforming photography into scalable marketing assets.
Brand Storytelling
Used movement, pacing, and environment to communicate brand values beyond static imagery.
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