Bringing the Magic of Space Jam to the Hands of Collectors
Directing the creation of Space Jam 2’s digital trading cards with Nifty’s and Warner Bros, I orchestrated a swift and strategic production, resulting in 91,000 units sold out instantly. This project was a pivotal entry into the digital collectible market, enhancing the film’s promotional campaign and expanding the collection due to overwhelming success.
Brand Direction
Rapid Production
Artistic Leadership
Theatrical Campaign
Strategic Design
3D Pipeline & Animation
In collaboration with Warner Bros, I embarked on a journey to transform the iconic characters of Space Jam 2 into immersive digital trading cards. I approached each card as powerful and rare artifacts, with each tier of rarity echoing the narrative journey from Earthly hijinks to cosmic wonder.
Given our breakneck schedule for fast production turnover, establishing a clear vision at the beginning of the project was tantamount to the successful execution of thousands of units that each would feel premium, special, and on-brand. Part of my strategy as art director included having a deep understanding of the strengths of these artists, allowing them to be able to perform at their best by dividing their efforts strategically into different tasks so we could divide and conquer without losing cohesion. I provided guardrails around card size, framing, fonts, and animation to make sure that each card felt related. These were the same rules that we intentionally bent for the highest tiers of card to give them an immediately identifiable upgrade in the eyes of collectors
This endeavor required a disciplined and strategic approach. Each character, as beloved IP, needed special consideration to balance their varying sizes and silhouettes, while each trading card tier needed to follow a clear path of rarity. I mapped out a tiering strategy that would mirror the script’s transformative milestones. The most common tier would relate to the key art of the film to bolster the promotional campaign. Consecutive tiers would depart from our atmosphere, delving deeper into outer space and further from reality. Color palette, shaders, and animations were inspired directly by the source material of the film.
The project received an immediate and overwhelming response, with all 91,000 units selling out at a rate of 5 cards claimed per second. The success of the project not only boosted the promotional campaign for Space Jam 2 but also led to the expansion of the collection to include the villains, each receiving equal prominence and respect.
