How Great Created a Brand Character for Zewa Using Phygital+
Results
- 4x
The creation of the character
with neural networks
has accelerated. - >50%
Respondents expressed a desire to purchase Zewa products after the introduction of Domovenok. - 88%
Respondents fell in love with
Domovenok after the first video.
Pros of Phygital+
- Flexibility
Quick adaptation of the character to any ideas: changing the pose or eye color. - Uniqueness
Creating fresh, unique images
with each generation. - Speed
Accelerating the process of creating
and approving the character.
Problem
In 2022, the Zewa brand team faced the challenge of localizing their creative platform and turned to Great agency for the development of a new character and a fresh creative framework for the Russian market.
Solution
The Great agency team conceived and developed a new character for Zewa — Domovenok. This modern interpretation of the traditional Domovoy figure perfectly embodies the idea of caring for the home. While the traditional character development process could take months of revisions and approvals, the agency decided to harness the power of neural networks. With the help of Phygital+, Great was able to accelerate the visualization process and find the ideal image much faster and more efficiently than with traditional methods.
The Great team conducted an analysis of Zewa's brand associations and identified key characteristics for the new character. With Phygital+, they could unleash their creativity without limitations, quickly visualizing a wide variety of character designs. They experimented with prompts to explore different possibilities: what if Domovenok were older? What if he had a tail, glasses, or a cute belly? They could try out various animation styles and not confine themselves to their initial ideas, significantly broadening their search area.
“
We carefully considered every detail of the character: cuteness to engage the audience, fluffiness of the fur to reflect the softness of Zewa products, the right length of the paws to create a cozy atmosphere at home, and the gentle skin on the palms so that Domovenok could interact with the product in a tactile way, among other aspects. We also designed attributes that clearly indicate this is a Domovoy — a key and a cap in the brand's colors.
“
Typically, character development takes months. First, the team studies references, then, almost like a photo robot, they use an illustrator to create the initial visualization. Often, this first attempt disappoints both the team and the client. This leads to detailed refinements of the shapes of the legs, ears, and eyes, followed by a series of revisions and files with names like final 5, final 6, final 112.
Uniqueness
Without neural networks, characters are created based on references. In this case, it’s not always possible to stray far enough from them. The character is likely to carry traits of various familiar characters that formed the basis of its design. However, a neural network trained on thousands of images combines the desired features into a completely new creation. In nearly every generation, we produced characters that were difficult to compare with any existing ones.
Thus, with the help of the neural network DALL-E, the creative team at Great achieved the one and only Zewa Domovenok.
Thus, with the help of the neural network DALL-E, the creative team at Great achieved the one and only Zewa Domovenok.
Customizability and Flexibility
The created image of Domovenok was flexibly refined, allowing for easy integration into various marketing materials.
“
The neural network not only helps create the desired character image but also allows for quick additions and transformations based on the team's new ideas using effective prompts. This aids not just in character creation but also, for example, in generating images for storyboard scenarios. The same character can be shown holding a mug, smiling dreamily, or sleeping... With the help of neural networks, Domovenok began to 'come to life' long before we started working on the 3D visualization.
Speed of Work
Once the character design was completed, the team used the result as a foundation for further 3D visualizations and advertising scripts. Thanks to Phygital+, the process of creating the character and obtaining client approval took just a week. This was achieved without compromising quality, allowing for the exploration of multiple options and resulting in excellent output.
“
In addition, high-quality generation significantly reduces the timeline for the final character visualization. The graphics studio receives not a chaotic description and sketches, but the final image of the character. Designers can clearly see the shapes, volumes, and textures required for the creative work and for the client's final videos. Communication becomes much simpler, and the process more controlled and predictable, as everyone knows exactly what appearance we are aiming for in the character.
Domovenok turned out to be exactly what the creative team envisioned, reflecting the advantages and values of the Zewa brand to the fullest. Great developed a detailed guide for using the character, and he has become a part of not only the commercials but also other marketing materials.
Outcome
“
Domovenok quickly began to be strongly associated with the brand and won the audience's affection right after the first flights. According to research conducted after the first commercial featuring Domovenok, 88% of respondents liked him, and more than half of those surveyed were willing to purchase Zewa products after getting to know the character. The brand has even received many requests to create plush toys based on this character, which is extremely valuable.
The use of neural networks allowed the character creation process to be shortened from several months to just one week, while maintaining high quality and uniqueness. Phygital+ not only enabled the generation of characters but also facilitated their rapid adaptation to the project's needs. As a result, Domovenok became a recognizable symbol of the brand and won the audience's affection.
“
This was our first experience working with AI, and we immediately appreciated the convenience – using AI greatly optimizes the process, saves resources for both the agency and the client, and most importantly, allows us to see an almost final version right away! We ended up with a fantastic character that our audience, colleagues, and clients all loved. We keep hearing how cute it is 🙂. Of course, it’s important that the character not only brings delight but also creates a desire to watch the entire video and buy the product.
Do you want to use neural networks
in your projects?
Try Phygital+ right now!
in your projects?
Try Phygital+ right now!