Creating Excitement Customers Actually Feel

A speculative case study about adding consumer excitement to big brand moments.

The Challenge

When Lululemon and Peloton announced their strategic partnership in 2023, most of the public narrative focused on the business deal itself. Headlines leaned into corporate buzzwords, highlighting strategic synergies and market opportunities. But while the partnership was newsworthy, the creative didn’t quite capture the energy and potential of the collaboration from a customer’s point of view. This speculative project set out to reframe the story around the user experience and deliver excitement through motion.

Defining (The Objective)

The goal was to take a brand partnership that was primarily talked about in business terms and give it emotional weight. Instead of focusing on logistics or press language, the animation aimed to celebrate the experience, energy, and shared values of both brands. The objective was to show what this partnership feels like, not just what it means on paper.

Understanding (The Plan)

I imagined this animation as a hero asset in a broader campaign, supported by social ads, paid media, and email. To keep things focused for the sake of the demo, I limited the deliverable to a single 10-second animation in vertical and horizontal formats. The direction centered on capturing the motion and energy both brands are known for, using visual storytelling to blend them into a single moment that feels exciting and intentional.

Designing (The Assets)

The animation begins with the Lululemon logo, which flows into swirling, abstract shapes that transform into pieces of activewear moving as if pedaling a Peloton bike. That motion then flows into a clean, collaborative logo lockup that brings both brands together. The animation was hand-drawn, then composited and polished in After Effects. Colors, movement, and style were all designed to echo both brands' tones while nodding to the visual history of at-home fitness. Ambient gradients, subtle flourishes, and a rhythmic soundtrack helped give the spot a finished, campaign-ready feel.

Executing (The Outcome)

The final result is a short, expressive asset that could be used to lead a launch moment across channels. It delivers hype without sacrificing clarity, and visually communicates the spirit of the partnership in a way that headline text never could. It's built for social, email, paid campaigns, or in-store displays, and is flexible enough to be repurposed across channels without losing impact.

Final Word

Partnerships are most powerful when customers understand why they matter. This speculative project shows how animation can give a collaboration emotional weight and visual clarity, helping brands go beyond the press release and actually connect with the people they’re trying to reach.