Overview

This project for Mercedes-Benz focused on creating a seamless and interactive digital advertising experience for the brand’s 2016 campaign, highlighting the new Sprinter and Citan commercial vans. As part of the project, I was responsible for designing and delivering a variety of digital web adverts that spanned multiple languages and regions, catering to audiences across Europe and the US. The campaign involved creating one version for the Mercedes Sprinter and two versions for the Mercedes Citan, each adapted to around 24 different languages and regions.

Design & Development

Given the broad scope, one of the key challenges was ensuring the adverts were designed to be responsive and optimised for a range of screen sizes and devices, from desktops to mobile devices and tablets. To achieve this, the adverts were created in multiple resolutions, ensuring seamless performance regardless of device or platform. This was especially important as the banners needed to be fully compatible with the Flashtalking platform, where they would be uploaded and served across different digital advertising campaigns.

Design Lifecycle & Process

The project required close collaboration with various stakeholders, including advertising managers, project managers, and localised teams from other regions. In addition to liaising with these stakeholders, I coordinated with teams to ensure all project requirements were met, from design briefs to the final assets. These briefs covered everything from creative direction to technical specifications for the banners across different languages, making it essential to follow specific creative guidelines set by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

I followed a comprehensive design lifecycle, starting with user research and creating low-fidelity mockups, where user journeys and pain points were carefully considered. From there, I moved to A/B testing to gather feedback and optimise the design before progressing to high-fidelity mockups. Finally, the design assets were uploaded to FlashTalking’s campaign manager, ensuring they were ready for deployment.

Deployment & Impact

A critical aspect of the project was the development of animated elements using Adobe After Effects, Redgiant Trapcode Particular, and Flashtalking’s JavaScript API. Trapcode Particular’s powerful physics engine was particularly useful in creating intricate particle effects and complex motion graphics, which elevated the visual appeal of the digital banners. Through this project, I gained invaluable experience in working with these advanced tools, learning how to integrate particle systems and motion graphics into the user experience seamlessly.

The entire process, from initial concepts to the final interactive banners, was designed with the goal of delivering an engaging and dynamic advertising experience for Mercedes-Benz’s customers. The project was both technically demanding and creatively rewarding, with the resulting assets being highly effective in capturing attention and driving engagement across different devices and regions. This experience further strengthened my skills in cross-functional collaboration, user-centred design, and the use of advanced design tools for digital advertising.

Tools Used