Southern Company -
Energy Innovation Exchange
Client:
Southern Company
Role:
Art Direction
Design
Animation
Southern Company, based in Atlanta, is one of the largest energy providers in the United States. They bring energy to homes and businesses across the country and provide clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy solutions.
Space Demo Video
Goal.
Energy Innovation Exchange is a project showcasing Southern Company's innovative energy solutions across the entire portfolio of energy sources. The client wants to showcase their innovation and capabilities in a space they have.
Challenges.
Southern Company has an existing brand guideline and is strict about it. They are picky about the design but vague about the direction. So it’s challenging to explore new possibilities to show “innovation” and think under the frame they already have. In addition, the new visual style we create needs to fit in different platforms and be consistent.
Styleframes
Solution.
First, we need to define how to present “innovation”.
Innovation is not creating a new thing from nothing. It’s looking at an old thing from new angles.
Storyboards of Diverse Videos
Southern Company is the only electric utility in the U.S. developing a diverse portfolio of generation resources including natural gas, nuclear, and renewables like wind and solar.
It’s like Southern Company developing energy solutions from different perspectives. The idea matches their core concept well.
Then we did a lot of research and decided to showcase this project in multiple ways. We wanted to shape a variety of experiences in the space, including:
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Interactive Exhibitions
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Video Walls
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Touchscreens
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Websites
Regarding the visual system, I started with their logo and branding which is bright, clean, and sharp. It reminds me of the prism. I quickly pictured a scene in my mind, "There is light going through the colorful glass on white models."
Styleframes
How about trying 3D?
It’s neat and professional (from client's aesthetic), which fits their branding well.
So I introduced a brand new 3D style that they've never used before, plus digital and techy effects, to make the visuals innovative and reliable.
Besides the 3D part, we need to rely on flat graphics (text and shapes) to convey messages. So I added 2D elements to the visual system as well to make it a universal visual system for Southern Company.
Website Homepage
Showcase Video - Wind
Showcase Video - Solar
Showcase Video - Microgrid
Southern Company Gas Promotional Video - Fuel for Life