Gen-Z Media

Gen-Z Media creates and produces audio programming for 10-15 year olds and their families. There is always an adventure, a plot twist, a mystery, and scary (but not too scary) component. They partnered with Chick-fil-A to create a series of podcasts, called Imagination Amplified, that would be used on both Gen-Z platforms as well as in the Chick-fil-A app. The first podcast in the series, Hidden Island would reflect the collection’s branding. Additionally, the client challenged us to create the mascot.

We worked closely with the client on character explorations. It was quite a puzzle, because children are exposed to so much fantasy that it almost becomes commonplace. Eventually we landed on a fish on a bicycle which seemed an intuitive visual metaphor for something that cannot exist anywhere except in the world of imagination. Although the initial draft was created using AI, we greatly modified the image to give it a very distinctive personality and build the branded identity around the character. We created the guidelines for the series that unified the brand with a red border, font usage and a very specific color palette. Using these attributes, we extended the series brand identity to the Hidden Island podcast collage illustration. The typography was a primary ingredient in all designs as the podcast thumbnails tend to be small.

OUTCOME
The mascot and the new brand look has engaged the audience. The client challenged their fans to name the mascot. Gilligan, or Gilly for short, is the name that is now used. Additional fan suggestions that are being developed by client using the guidelines and the imagery were a poster and stickers that let listeners track their progress.