CARPHONE WAREHOUSE: X FACTOR

Credits:

Type of Entry: Corporate or Brand Identity
Category: Digital Design
Title: X FACTOR
Advertiser/Client: CARPHONE WAREHOUSE
Product/Service: MOBILE PHONE SHOP
Entrant Company: CHI & PARTNERS London, UNITED KINGDOM
Design/Advertising Agency: CHI & PARTNERS London, UNITED KINGDOM
Creative Credits
Name Company Position
Warren Moore Chi/Partners Founding Partner
Thiago De Moraes Chi/Partners Digital Creative Director
Angus Wardlaw Chi/Partners Creative
Alexei Berwitz Chi/Partners Creative
Rick Standley Chi/Partners Creative
Tom Skinner Chi/Partners Creative
Kylie Mclean Chi/Partners Designer
Camilla Knight Chi/Partners Group Account Director
Blinkink Blinkink Animation
Unit 9 Unit 9 Production
Details
Brief Explanation:
Our idea was to invite consumers to record singing performances on mobiles, which after being animated online would then be turned into TV ads, aired weekly on the show’s ad breaks. We needed to find an engaging and innovative design solution that would incorporate a large amount of user-generated illustrations without losing its consistency or appeal.
Describe the brief from the client:
The X Factor is Europe’s biggest singing contest, so when mobile phone retailer The Carphone Warehouse decided to sponsor the show we knew we needed a visually engaging campaign that the public would notice and enjoy enough to make them want to take part in the experience themselves.
Description of how you arrived at the final design:
We decided the unique work of the Swedish Illustrator Kristopher Strom was the perfect quirky style that would form the centre of the X Factor challenge. And would inspire the nation to want to become singers and illustrators themselves by creating totally unique illustrations that would come alive with their vocals. After singing on their phone users could choose from a selection of Kristopher Strom’s predrawn characters or they could create their own character in their own illustrative style. They could then judge their (and others’) performances. We created hundreds of bespoke characters and animations for the many judging reactions.
Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market:
Each week over the duration of the show, contestants were picked from the website and their animations and singing performances used as TV idents, which could be viewed on the websites TV winners section and then seen by up to 12 millions viewers during the Saturday night X Factor shows. By the end of the show almost 9,000 wannabe stars had sung and drawn in