Zinvest - YouTube Adverts

AI-Powered Investing Made Accessible

The goal of this project was to create an engaging and visually compelling YouTube brand awareness campaign for Zinvest, an AI-powered investment app launching in the US.

The campaign aimed to encourage app downloads by effectively communicating the app’s benefits through animation. My role focused on one of the main adverts, ensuring it aligned with the brand's vision and effectively resonated with the target audience.
How was I involved?

- Illustration & Storyboarding – Created visuals aligned with Zinvest’s brand guidelines.
- Character Rigging – Developed a flexible rig using shape layers for fluid animation.
- 2D Animation – Brought the character and environment to life with expressive movement.
- Format Adaptation – Adjusted the animation for multiple aspect ratios to optimize usability across platforms.
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Client: Zinvest
Contractor: Only the Bold

Overview

Background
I was approached by Only The Bold to collaborate on this project, where they were managing the campaign's creative direction. Zinvest needed a series of two main adverts and five short-form videos to reinforce brand awareness.

The animation had to adhere strictly to the company’s established branding while maintaining a high level of engagement and clarity across multiple formats.

Each video was designed in three aspect ratios (16:9, 9:16, and 1:1) to optimize performance across devices and social media platforms.
Challenge
While Zinvest provided clear branding guidelines—including a defined color palette, character designs, and background elements—there was still room for creativity in how the animation was brought to life. The challenge was not in being constrained but in ensuring that new assets and animations seamlessly integrated into the established style while keeping the visuals fresh and engaging.

To meet this challenge, I had to:

- Expanded on existing assets – Designed new elements that aligned with the brand’s aesthetic while enhancing storytelling and visual interest.
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- Optimized animations for clarity and engagement – Focused on smooth, expressive movement that reinforced the message while staying visually dynamic.

Storyboarding / Design Boards

Animation


Bringing the Character to Life
For this animation, I employed a shape-layer-based rigging approach that allowed for:

- More natural movement – Using shape layers instead of traditional bone-rigging techniques provided greater flexibility, enabling fluid and lifelike motion.

- Seamless pose transitions – Actions such as crossing legs, shifting positions, and adjusting posture were smoothly animated without the limitations of rigid rigging systems.

- Customizable expressions – By animating paths directly, I could manipulate facial expressions and gestures frame by frame for enhanced expressiveness.

- Greater adaptability – Shape layers made it easier to refine animations and adjust character elements while maintaining consistency across different formats.

This approach ensured that the character felt dynamic and engaging, aligning with the campaign’s goal of making AI-powered investing feel approachable and intuitive.
Optimizing for Multiple Formats
Adapting the animation to different screen sizes was crucial for maximizing engagement. While resizing to a square (1:1) format was relatively straightforward, adjusting for vertical (9:16) required more creative problem-solving.

Key adjustments included:

- Repositioning key elements – Ensuring the character and focal points remained centered and readable.
- Adjusting animations – Modifying movements to fit within the vertical frame without losing visual balance.
- Enhancing text and UI placement – Optimizing information hierarchy to ensure clarity across all formats.By carefully restructuring scenes for each format, I ensured that the animation remained visually cohesive and effective across all platforms.
Thanks for watching!
Project Credits — Creative Direction & Management – Luke Wilcoxon (Only the Bold) + Storyboarding, Design & Illustration – Rodrigo Serna + Animation & Motion Design – Rodrigo Serna