The challenge was to create a distinctive graphic sensibility that would brand the Chicago Tribune with its design sense and could be applied to all media (TV, print, outdoor, internet). Instantly recognizable, simple and clean graphically, yet human, warm, and universal in appeal, the design had to employ icons and use Tribune Blue somewhere.
Our solution was to develop a simple character design that is simple, but could be animated with humor and expression. The characters have a Chaplinesque/Keatonesque quality and don’t include any more detail than is absolutely necessary—no facial features, just nose for indicating direction.
We took the basic “Universal Man” character design, and reformulated to make it ownable by the client. We added subtle elements that warmed up the graphic, and made the characters a bit shorter and pudgier.
The result: complete success! The public in the region responded with phone calls, emails, etc. praising its successful entertainment value in all its forms—animation, print, etc. The campaign raised the bar for newspaper advertising and promotion.