Ride Ninja
Client: LEGO Ninjago | Company: Our LEGO Agency
Chase down the Sons of Garmadon and recover the sacred oni masks, by driving NINJAGO vehicles like only a Ninja can - RIDE NINJA!
Background
Ninjago had been a long-time success at LEGO with a history of engaged and loyal fans and an ever-growing story. We were tasked with coming up with a creative campaign for 2018 to target low-affinity kids and be informed by the new season of the TV show and toys, Sons of Garmadon (think ninjas meet biker gangs). The gang is steeling magical masks that have the power to reincarnate the ultimate villain - Lord Garmadon.
Brief
Get low-affinity kids, to experience an easy way into the NINJAGO products by putting all Sons of Garmadon vehicles front & center in an epic campaign.
Approach
Leveraging the Design Sprint method pioneered by our leadership team and AJ&Smart read the story here. Our team used two design sprints to first get to the creative idea of Ride Ninja and second to define ways to bring it to life.
Strategically moving from STORY AS THE HOOK INTO IP to VEHICLES AS STARS OF CAMPAIGN.
Solution
The Chase!
An EPIC stop motion mini movie to get kids excited about the high octane play this product inspires.
After defining the story arc of when each product would appear in the movie; from the depths of Ninjago city’s subways to the highroads. I worked with the creative team to define the story flow, the heroic moments and the ending. A cliff hanger to inspire kids to continue the chase in their own imaginative play.
Ride Ninja Game
Chase down the Son's of Garmadon and recover the masks in this endless rider.
What started as an idea for a web game became a full-fledged app game. While exploring various gameplay concepts, we envisioned a unique twist incorporating a capture-the-flag mechanic, adding depth and excitement to the gaming experience.
Ninjago website
Drive kids to the content that interests them.
Combining user behaviour, content, and available components I designed the UX and Visual design to promote discovery and inspire engagement. The home page became a quick way for kids to dive into a theme or browse content by types like video, products, and characters. Explore pages were designed for each of the three selling points of the franchise while focusing on content related to the products, there was also a dedicated area for story with an emphasis on the latest season of NINJAGO, “Son’s Of Garmadon”.
Results
While specific campaign metrics are confidential, the success of the campaign was evident in our ability to deliver bold ideas and engage audiences like never before. Embracing the Design Sprint Method empowered our team to achieve unprecedented levels of creativity, communication, and collaboration. Personally, spearheading the global campaign from an integrated art direction perspective was a milestone, culminating in the realisation of the initial storyboards, which formed the foundation of the final animation.
