Sparks academy is an internship programme run by Jones Knowles Ritchie, a branding company.
For the application process, they gave 3 different prompts, for which a question was to be answered (in whatever preferred form), to see the the types of thinking and ideas applicants could come up with.
I then adapted these into practice adverts for my portfolio, seeing which brands best aligned with the concept/idea.
Prompt 1: What makes you happy and why? Brand: Super7
I have a Thundercats Lion-O figure next to my computer and desk. It makes me happy, so, occasionally, I pose it a little differently or change his accessories, you know, from little sword to big sword, or calm face to angry face. It reminds me of my childhood, has great aesthetic value and is just. Friggin. Cool. Super 7 is a toy brand, for collectors, and the lion-o is part of their brand.
The how:
I used watercolours (after about 15 years) to make it somewhat child-like and evocative of that “childhood”state. I had Lion-O posed just beneath the computer screen, in a heroic pose, to appear quite dramatic. I’m reaching out to it, trying to receive that "power". I added the tagline in a fun 80's font, as that's when the cartoon came out, and when I was born. The "18-rated" icon is to show that these are for adult collectors, who would've grown up with this/similar brands. There was also inspiration from movie posters, specifically "The Masters Of The Universe."
Prompt 2: What does bravery mean to you? Brand: Cold Adventures
Having restarted exercising in the past 18 months, I started to confront cold weather and showers. Not only did this help with the exercise routine but there was the added challenge of overcoming the cold. What I also discovered in the process was, it massively helped me in developing resilience, which in turn significantly helped with my mental health. So intentionally facing the cold, I felt is a brave thing to do.
The how:
I was inspired by the idea of "Story Appeal” when I read Ogilvy on advertising. I like the idea of subtly suggesting something without overt explanation for the viewer, allowing them to try to make a story themselves. I love those magazine adverts, with their incredible imagery and body text; so I was inspired by a few different things for this idea. I like poetry, being particularly fond of the haiku, and felt compelled to use this format. Then, I decided to use a scenario of a father reminding his son about facing the cold, in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Cold adventures branding was chosen as they have winter adventures, so I felt this could work.
Prompt 3: What do you do when you get stuck? Brand: Knoops
I like hot chocolate; it’s wonderful. When I get stuck, I have known to drink a hot chocolate. Sometimes it’s just an escape, sometimes pleasurable, and sometimes it helps me unwind. This video is a little celebration (hopefully funny too) about my love towards hot chocolate and how it has helped when I’ve felt different types of stuck.
The how:
I wanted to make the video funny, so I used the cream on my beard as the unexpected joke from gulping down hot chocolate (I’ve had my beard get whipped before but never to this degree). I was trying for a warm, romantic-y look and feel, and scripting the chosen words, along with the music, to add to the humorousness of the situation. The tagline incorporates Spanish as it fits their products (as they have chocolate sourced form Venezuela) and I think is also quite contextually funny.