Key Art Case Studies: Evolution of Visual Storytelling from Yesterday to Today.
Key Art Case Studies: Evolution of Visual Storytelling from Yesterday to Today
In entertainment marketing, well-crafted key art bridges storytelling and visual appeal. Over the years, my journey has evolved—from comping bold ideas as an Art Director at agencies to serving as Group Creative Director at NBC, to leveraging strategic tactics as a Global Creative Director at Amazon Studios, and now integrating cutting-edge AI tools to shape my next endeavors. I’ve learned beyond my expectations after 300+ title launches. Each campaign brought unique challenges and opportunities that taught me endurance, resilience, what is creative excellence and how to reach it through more efficient processes to diminish the pain points. I’m always learning and Gen-AI has gifted me the ability to culminate a creative process from concept to consumer that my hope will surprise and delight all humans I collaborate with and the audiences who see what we create for them.
Following are a few case studies from my career to give context.
NBC Days: Taking Bold Risks in Network TV
CLICK HERE to view sketches to finish for the 3 titles below.
Heroes Season 3
The Heroes Season 3 campaign, launched in 2008, was a turning point in network TV key art. Our challenge was to reignite excitement among fans and recapture viewers lost during Season 2. We created comic book-inspired visuals with dynamic poses and dramatic angles, a bold, theatrical approach for network TV. This strategy paid off, exceeding goals by retaining plus captivating new eyeballs with engaging visuals inspired by the perspectives and action of what comic book illustrations drew for decades that a camera hadn’t quite captured with live action stills.
Parenthood Season 2
For Parenthood in 2010, we shifted public perception from heavy drama to a playful, relatable series. By building life-sized bouncy houses for the cast, we emphasized the idea that no matter the age, we’re all kids at heart. This creative decision captured the show’s essence—celebrating family dynamics with humor and warmth—and successfully broadened its audience.
Law & Order Season 13
Law & Order SVU Season 13 in 2012 marked a visual reinvention for the franchise. Moving away from gritty, dark imagery, we opted for a fresh, sophisticated look to introduce new cast members while honoring fan favorites. The Emmy campaign added elegance, imagining the cast at a fundraiser interrupted by a murder investigation in a penthouse at the center of NYC. The visuals balanced intrigue with class, standing out in a crowded procedural landscape.
The Office
I joined NBC in 2003 and was fortunate to be on the launch team for The Office in 2005—a journey I’ll never forget. It was one of 21 pilots our department created key art for that year, and my team was responsible for five titles, in addition to sustaining campaigns for five “Must See TV” series and FYC award campaigns. Among these were ER, Will & Grace, Frasier, and Friends before they went off the air.
The Office was an adaptation of a successful UK series, and anticipation was mixed about how it would fare in the U.S. It took two seasons before it truly gained momentum, and the rest is history. The key art and PR images we conceptualized, photographed, and finished are still used today.
The creative approach for The Office was straightforward, with PR-style posed shots that captured the essence of the series. The setups were staged entirely on the show’s set in Van Nuys, California. Our photo producer, Photographer; Mitch Haaseth and his crew found three key locations to execute our sketches:
Paper Storage Closet: Cast members were arranged among stacked paper boxes and reams of paper in a tight space to create the appearance of a cluttered storage closet. I helped stack the boxes and position props to align with the concept.
Tree Stumps in a Barren Landscape: Inspired by show runner Greg Daniels’ pitch, we created a whimsical setup with the cast arranged on cut-down tree stumps in a desolate forest.
Loading Dock: The full cast was photographed on the loading dock, surrounded by paper flying everywhere—a lively and memorable setup.
Mitch and I worked together to situate and direct the cast throughout the day, capturing both group and individual shots in and around the set. It was a long day with the entire cast, but as it was the first season, everyone was simply thrilled to be part of the project.
Looking back, it was an incredible experience, and I’m delighted to share these stories today, knowing the imagery we created helped launch a cultural phenomenon.
Amazon Prime Video: Redefining Global Storytelling
At Amazon Studios I explored visual storytelling on a global scale by defining core strategies and writing creative briefs for 360 integrated multi-channel marketing campaigns. This process granted me the ability to hone in rough thought starters before engaging creative teams to develop full concepts pre and post photoshoots. Campaigns like Fleabag, Good Omens, Catastrophe, Transparent, The Tick, Mozart in the Jungle, Red Oaks, Lost In Oz, and Upload exemplified this approach.
Good Omens balanced irreverent humor with apocalyptic stakes, visually capturing the dynamic between Crowley and Aziraphale. Inspired by fan art and cultural nuances, the campaign unified audiences with imagery that felt fresh and true to the source material.
For titles like Fleabag, Catastrophe, Transparent, The Tick, Mozart in the Jungle, Red Oaks, Lost In Oz and Upload to name a few. the marketing and creative strategy garnered early buy-in from stakeholders before visual ideation began. This streamlined process saved time, kept budgets on track, and reduced churn by minimizing subjective feedback late in the process. Creative partners were set up for success, delivering campaigns that surprised and delighted both consumers and stakeholders.
Integrating Generative AI: The Next Chapter of Creative Evolution
Generative AI is revolutionizing how I approach key art and 360 marketing campaigns. It streamlines the development of creative strategies, briefs, and thought starters, enabling faster iterations and concept exploration. Gen-AI acts as my brainstorming buddy, complementing moments of inspiration that come while hiking, being in nature, and waking up from dream with an idea. By eliminating low-hanging fruit early, AI allows stronger ideas to emerge, avoiding compromises caused by time or budget constraints.
1. Rapid Prototyping
AI enables the generation of multiple visual concepts in a fraction of the time. For Upload, we used AI to explore humor and relevance that resonated with fans. With showrunner Greg Daniels’ approval, we partnered with Rhubarb Agency to develop fun, AI-guided concepts under specific guidelines—one of which went to finish, as seen above and featured on their Instagram.
2. Expanding Creative Horizons
Generative AI broadens creative possibilities, helping target diverse demographics and adapt visual storytelling across cultural contexts. It allows campaigns to remain consistent while offering deeper storytelling opportunities, particularly for social content.
3. Cost Efficiency with Creative Excellence
AI reduces production costs by minimizing tasks like sketching, on-set adjustments, and sifting through thousands of images or hours of footage. This efficiency frees resources to enhance actor performances during shoots and refine campaigns’ overall quality. AI also enables the creation of comprehensive suites of assets—including branded key art, motion graphics, and AV content—delivering multidimensional campaigns beyond a single image or trailer.
Currently, many times only broad-audience titles receive the largest marketing budgets, leaving niche titles to only have a base set of marketing assets. The marketing strategy is to rely on the visibility of larger campaigns and promote the niche titles. AI offers a disruptive solution by making robust marketing accessible to more titles.
4. Expanding Access Through AI-Driven Efficiencies
AI lowers the cost of content production and distribution, enabling tailored campaigns for a wider range of titles. It also enhances targeted digital campaigns, maximizing ROI and serving viewers what they want in ways as entertaining as the content itself.
5. Pushing the Creative Bar
AI is a collaborator, not a replacement. It frees creatives to focus on emotional and strategic storytelling, ensuring campaigns resonate deeply with audiences and meet them where they are.
Beyond Aesthetics: The Future of Key Art Is Living, Breathing, and Engaging
Key art is more than just aesthetics—many times it’s the audience’s first encounter with a story followed by the trailer or a video promo. From the bold risks of Heroes to the heartfelt playfulness of Parenthood, the elegance of Law & Order SVU, and Amazon’s groundbreaking global campaigns, each project reflects an evolution in connecting with viewers.
In today’s fast-paced landscape, where attention spans are measured in seconds, visuals must be instantly engaging and easily digestible. Generative AI accelerates creation, expands deliverables, and helps craft campaigns that surprise and delight across multiple touchpoints.
However, successful campaigns still demand experienced creatives who take the time to let ideas simmer and fully develop. Gen-AI alone cannot replicate the passion, skill, and vision required to deliver work that resonates in meaningful, engaging ways.
The future of key art suites is here, blending human ingenuity with AI-driven innovation. It’s easier now for Key Art to be living, moving and breathing plus static when required. How cool is it that we all get to live through another transition of rewriting the rules of visual engaging storytelling to attract targeted audiences—one campaign at a time.
Comments