SEGA, 101 SERIES
2022-2024
Game launches involve various assets, big and small, each shaping public perception and excitement. When Sega announced their Year of Shadow in early 2024, we knew it would be a major creative challenge to support. Beyond the trailer series, we were tasked with diving into Shadow’s lore—enter Shadow 101.
Shadow 101 had a greater focus on design and animation than its predecessor, Sonic 101.
THE MISSION
The biggest challenge on this project was that we’d done something similar with Sonic 101, which is why we were asked to do it again. However, being a one-trick pony is no fun. This style of animation and storytelling, made popular by the fast-talking Apple commercial narrator, has been done before. The real challenge was taking an existing concept and flipping it to create something fresh and innovative.
Shadow destroys his enemies at every turn with amazing power.
THE PROCESS
We explored multiple visual directions early, pushing our designers to think bigger. The final look, created by designer Cody, was a slick UI inspired by classic Sonic levels. It hit that sweet spot between nostalgia and something totally new. Once the style was approved, our animation and editorial teams took over, dialing in tone, pacing, and rhythm.
Designer Cody created UI inspired by Sonic levels, with this design ultimately winning after exploring other iterations.
Before Shadow 101, we helped define the format with Sonic 101, a fast-paced, nostalgia-packed explainer that dove into the history of SEGA’s blue icon. It was bold, funny, and deeply rooted in SEGA’s past — including the legendary SEGA Scream.
Creating something new is exciting—it feels like exploring uncharted territory, opening doors for other creatives to iterate on, or for us to evolve this narrative and motion format in future projects. As creatives, it’s important to research trends while also taking calculated risks that align with project objectives and resonate with your client base.
THE RESULT
Shadow 101 launched to wide praise for its motion graphics, witty voiceover script (thanks, Justin), and garnered nearly 200k views on YouTube, along with millions of impressions worldwide.
