When Anomaly initially approached us with the opportunity, Google Fi had already developed its own distinct illustration style that erred on the side of playful, fun, colorful and simple. It followed the almighty “Google tone” derived from Google’s master brand. Anomaly presented us with a series of ideas, and we worked in conjunction with them to figure out the kinks from a motion visuals standpoint.

While Anomaly was mainly involved in conjuring up scripts for each individual spot, our task was to offer our perspective in how to communicate these ideas visually. Since the initial scripts were so jam-packed, we had to assist in determining what beats to give importance to and how to better portray their ideas in Google Fi’s distinct animated style. The question at the centerfold: How do we visually communicate better WiFi once the characters tether together?

We took the shapes from the Google Fi logo and pulled them into speed lines that would thread in and out of the action across the campaign. Although the look is meant to be clean and modern (within that Google lens), in execution we opted to create a large majority of the elements in 3D. This gave us flexibility in the revision cycle, but also let us flex in transitions where the dimensions would show, giving the spots an extra bit of richness.

While the spots are rooted in the tech giant’s latest phone plan venture, they had one crucial request: absolutely no depictions of people on their phones. Phones, in their opinion, would have a negative connotation because there’s that delicate line of people getting sucked into these portable devices. (Save for one caveat in which characters use phones as a portal to travel.)

Google also stressed that the spots should be diverse and inclusive. This shone through skin tones, family unit compositions, depictions of disabilities, pets, furniture pieces, and portrayals of urban to suburban locales.