During the winter Northern USA residents long to escape the cold and snowy winters and travel south to Florida for fun in the sun on the beach.
Alex was tasked to bring to life an idea marketed to holiday travelers in airports. Participants would use body gestures to navigate Sandy the Pelican’s south bound flight from Chicago to Florida for a winter escape.
A video screen was installed at high foot traffic areas in the Chicago mall and O’Hare Airport to entice people to “Win a Trip to Fort Myers Beach, Florida”.
When the project got into my hands, I was tasked to create a vision and visual design for the experience, that was both accessible and engaging. Alex’s goal was to create an immersive environment for players using friendly and approachable characters that were illustrated. In addition I was challenged with the animation style, UI, sourcing illustration and overall gameplay experience.
Gameplay screen sketch (left) Gameplay screen produced (Right)
Once Alex selected an illustration partner, we were able to focus on character design. After preliminary sketching and storyboarding I dove into game flow environments, obstacles, art direction, and collaborated with the illustrator to build the 2D characters and animation states.
In the gameplay journey from Chicago to Fort Myers, the experience reminded participants of their goal to reach Florida. Players encountered a blimp with a Florida hashtag, clouds that took the shape of dreamy Florida icons and animals, crows carrying sand pails and umbrellas. You could also find Santa propelling his sleigh with Florida dolphins. The design reminded players that everyone wants to go to Florida for vacation, from animals to humans alike.
Along side illustration was wireframe development for the interface. It was all about immediacy. Idle screens greeted passersby with an invitation to compete for a chance to win the Florida trip and enter their information.
You use your body to control the flight of Sandy. While the screen tracks downward, obstacles come into your path. Move your body and arms left and right to help the pelican avoid deterrents in the air. Once gameplay is complete, you entered your email address and took a postcard selfie. This would be followed by email reminders about your experience and reminders about sunny Fort Myers Beach in the middle of a cold Chicago winter.
Wireframes of the interface
I collaborated closely with the illustrator to ensure that Sandy the Pelican was charismatic and approachable.
I wanted the Chicago winter to be portrayed as snowy, cold and inhospitable, reminding participants of their goal to escape the snow and cold. Alex stylized Florida highlighting warm and inviting aspects like the sunscapes and beach attire. Particular attention was paid to the environments for Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, highlighting the activities of swimming, fishing and relaxation.
Sanibel Island Environment (left), Fort Myers Beach (right)
The interactive kiosk was placed in a high-traffic area called “The Shops” in Downtown Chicago. Duration was 5-weeks, plus two-weeks at O’Hare International Airport. Over 10,000 people played the game and took flight AS Sandy The Pelican.
Using geofencing techniques within a five-mile radius, Chicagoans were targeted nearby with marketing messages that guided participants to play the game and enter the sweepstakes.
The campaign received a weekly average of over 1,600 new user activations which surpassed comparable campaigns by at least 100 percent.
