Explaniner video | 2019
Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (MVG)
MVG was founded in 2002 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Stadtwerke München (SWM) and operates local public transport in Munich. Today, MVG is one of the largest municipal transport companies in Germany. Subway, bus and streetcar services ensure the quality of life in the city and significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of transportation.
The challenge
A normal explainer video - right?!
We recently received a special kind of project. Even the title sounded promising: "MVG - Poetry Slam". Should we really explain the genre of the poetry slam? This mysterious hybrid of bumpy rap and rhythmic storytelling? And for MVG of all places? The kick-off brought light into the darkness: this custom explainer video was not about an explanation in the classic sense, but about visualizing an existing slam text.
The solution
The timetable is set
In the briefing with MVG, the goal quickly became clear: the existing, conventional advertising measures were to be supplemented by a modern, self-deprecating video. The core message for the "passengers" target group was to be: "There are lots of exciting stories waiting for you on Munich's public transport system!" And one of these stories was now in front of us - in the form of a text by poetry slammer Alex Burkhard. We were now able to breathe life into his fabulous story with images and movement.
And off we go
This presented us with a central challenge: we had to develop a style that corresponded to the content of the text. The focus here was on a contemporary, urban depiction of Munich's nightlife. At the same time, the illustrations had to be designed in such a way that their animation harmonized with the flow of the slam text. And then, of course, the customer had to be impressed.
Clearly, concentrated explanatory expert skills were required. And so colleagues from the Concept, Design and Motion Design departments started the development process together. First step: text analysis and interpretation. Second step: style development, image conception, scribbles.
The result
All's well that ends well
And then finally the result: a style with clear borrowings from street art, plus a color concept of strong contrasts and deliberately placed highlights. And the art form of the poetry slam itself was also to be reflected in the film - through the selective use of typography in the image. Pretty meta, isn't it?
And the rest is practically history: the client was thrilled! The style was quickly approved, Ksenia and André illustrated everything they could, and Felix put the finishing touches to the project in motion design - including fast camera movements and creative transitions. In the summer, the film was shown in Munich's open-air cinemas, it has its own Landingpage at MVG and is being diligently shared on social media. In addition, around 2,500 posters are displayed in Munich on all forms of transport (subway, bus, streetcar), at train stations and in the Optimol plants. And that's not all: the long version of the video has been running in all Munich cinemas since November 23. Case closed.
Ulrike Meissner
Senior Account Manager
Let's get started! We look forward to your project
Product launch, change process, company presentation or a new workflow - whatever you need to explain. Let's talk about it! Together we can lay the foundations for the success of your project.
