Background
Creating a three-month "drip" marketing campaign for the musical "Hamilton." The project aimed to gradually reveal narrative clues, generating anticipation through cryptic and guerrilla marketing strategies.
Objective
Our mission was to craft a captivating campaign featuring three advertisements (two print, one video) and two webpages. Leveraging the musical's iconic lyrics and historical context, the goal was to create intrigue and excitement leading up to the final reveal.
Design Elements
Typography:
We utilized Trajen-Pro as the primary font, mirroring the musical's poster, and introduced Helvetica for contrast and readability. ITC Cheltenham Std was employed for authenticity in the first campaign, aligning with the musical's time period.
We utilized Trajen-Pro as the primary font, mirroring the musical's poster, and introduced Helvetica for contrast and readability. ITC Cheltenham Std was employed for authenticity in the first campaign, aligning with the musical's time period.
Colour Palette:
Staying true to the musical's poster color scheme, we centered the palette around gold. Accent colors were strategically used to grab attention, while rust and paper textures were incorporated to maintain a historical aesthetic.
Staying true to the musical's poster color scheme, we centered the palette around gold. Accent colors were strategically used to grab attention, while rust and paper textures were incorporated to maintain a historical aesthetic.
Month 1: Newspaper
To authentically capture the essence of the musical's time period, the first phase of our promotional campaign featured a meticulously crafted newspaper. Recognizing the unique storytelling opportunities newspapers offer, we embarked on a journey inspired by the oldest print newspapers in New York.
Beginning with in-depth research into historical newspaper layouts, we meticulously curated a 6-column page in InDesign. Establishing a baseline grid ensured a consistent typographic hierarchy, complemented by carefully designed styles for titles, subheaders, text, and captions. Adjustments to text spacing and hyphenation rules enhanced visual appeal compared to traditional 'full justified' text layouts.
The primary headline, 'In New York You Can Be A New Man,' cleverly referenced the musical's opening lyrics. Opting for a drawing of The Public Theatre, where the play debuted, maintained historical accuracy in the absence of photography from that era.
Continuing the narrative, the article titled 'Just You Wait' extended the lyrical theme, with Lin Manuel Miranda credited as the author. This article contained lyrics from the opening song up to 'What's your name, man?'—a recurring tagline strategically deployed in subsequent promotions. To amplify its impact, we adjusted the size for heightened visibility.
Diving into the lower section, a dedicated article titled 'America's Secret Weapon' paid homage to the character Marquis de Lafayette. Referencing 'Guns and Ships,' a quoted tagline—"I'm takin' this horse by the reins, makin' Redcoats redder with bloodstains"—added a captivating element. The article seamlessly blended a brief character biography.
Finessing the details, we calibrated the newspaper date to align with a significant year in the play. Old paper textures injected a vintage feel, while strategically placed bloodstains resonated with the impactful closing quote. This meticulous approach set the stage for a visually arresting and historically resonant campaign.
Month 2: Bus Stop Poster
In the second leg of our campaign, we strategically elevated our promotional efforts with a striking bus stop poster. Recognizing the proximity of newspapers to bus stops, we seamlessly progressed from print to a visually impactful outdoor advertisement.
Contemplating innovative ways to integrate the Hamilton logo while maintaining an air of mystery, our focus centered on the campaign's central question, 'What's your name, man?' To embody this query, we envisioned a mirror reflecting the viewer, placing them atop the star logo instead of Hamilton.
The design process commenced with conceptualizing the layout in Photoshop, strategically situating the tagline at the top for maximum impact. Embracing a paper effect for the background maintained a consistent nod to the historical theme, cleverly integrating a torn-paper effect leading into the mirror portion.
To enhance the mirror's authenticity, we tinted it to evoke the musical's time period. Employing an image, we added smudges and reflective highlights, creating a compelling visual metaphor for self-reflection and engagement.
Transitioning to the bottom half, the resounding return of the line 'Just You Wait' took center stage, now more prominent and direct in its appeal. Below, a strategically placed date and QR code seamlessly guided intrigued onlookers to the promotional launch website, ensuring a seamless transition from offline engagement to online exploration.
This bus stop poster not only marked a pivotal progression in our campaign but also showcased our commitment to capturing attention in innovative ways, creating anticipation for the grand reveal while leaving an indelible impression on the audience
Webpage Design
Our webpages were integral in building excitement for the musical. The first page featured a simple countdown, emphasizing the line 'Just You Wait' and enhanced with dynamic looping effects. Once the countdown concluded, visitors seamlessly transitioned to the next page for the grand reveal. These webpages acted as digital catalysts, effortlessly bridging offline engagement to a captivating online experience, intensifying anticipation for the musical's revelation.
Month 3: Video Reveal
In the campaign's culminating moment, I crafted a dynamic animated logo reveal for various platforms such as TV, billboards, and online channels. This served as the conclusive answer to the campaign's central question, 'What's your name, man?' The final reveal incorporated the concluding segment of the opening song, synchronized with the unveiling of the full logo.
Beginning the creative process in After Effects, I utilized the Hamilton poster texture, enhancing it with additional light particles for depth. Experimentation with logo reveal techniques led to the incorporation of a spotlight, a nod to the musical theme.
The 15-second video featured a gradual zoom-in, orchestrated by a moving camera, with the spotlight making multiple passes over the logo. The strategic progression revealed the logo's evolution, starting with half the star, mirroring the second month's advertisement, followed by the silhouette of Hamilton atop the star. The climactic final reveal showcased the complete logo, accompanied by an expanded lighting area, ensuring a visually stunning and impactful conclusion to the campaign.
