Georgia vs. Austin Peay Ad

August 2025, Georgia vs. Austin Peay Post

This animated ad was created as part of ESPN+ for Business’s College Football Campaign, designed to capture the same excitement and energy as the other static assets in the series. The version shown below represents the final iteration approved by ESPN, following an earlier concept that took a slightly different creative direction.

My initial design goal was to emphasize the intensity and importance of the matchup through bold and intense visuals and gritty textures as seen below. I incorporated a football player as the focal point to immediately communicate the message that this is about college football and evoke a sense of grit and strength. However, the first version was not approved because the player’s uniform unintentionally resembled that of an Ohio State athlete. ESPN requested that we avoid visual likenesses to specific teams to maintain neutrality across all promotional materials.

This feedback gave me valuable insight into ESPN’s brand standards and how to design universally appealing sports content without leaning toward team identity. In the final revision, I refined the character imagery, balanced the color palette, and adjusted the composition to maintain the ad’s intensity while ensuring neutrality.

Although the first version was not selected, I view it as a strong stylistic experiment that introduced a gritty, cinematic aesthetic that I plan to revisit in future projects. This piece represents both my creative flexibility and ability to adapt quickly to new styles, and brand guidelines while still maintaining a strong visual impact.