MSNBC 2020 Election Campaign – Road Warriors
My Role
Art Director, Designer, Animator, Compositor
Tools used
Cinema 4D, After Effects, Photoshop
Objective
Promote MSNBC’s Road Warriors—a team of embedded reporters traveling with political candidates during the 2020 primary season, through a visually compelling campaign that would run across broadcast and digital platforms. The concept needed to symbolize movement, coverage, and connection across the United States.
Creative Approach
The marketing team envisioned a visual metaphor based on an origami-style unfolding American flag. This inspired a direction centered on geographical storytelling, connecting campaign locations through iconic visuals, physical maps, and a symbolic unfolding path.
Drawing on my prior experience with NBC News, I located a U.S. atlas from the on-air graphics department and organized a dedicated photo shoot to capture its rich details. These atlas textures became the visual foundation of the campaign.
Technical Execution
Reworked 3D models in Cinema 4D to create low-poly, stylized icons representing key campaign stops (e.g., a tractor and corn for Iowa).
Applied cloth dynamics to simulate each object collapsing into the atlas, then reversed the animation to create an unfolding effect.
Mapped textures from the photographed atlas directly onto the objects, aligned to their real geographic locations.
Designed a visual “road” formed by the traditional triangular fold of the American flag to connect each campaign stop.
Created 3D road signs to clearly identify each location throughout the animation sequence.
Challenges
Translating a symbolic origami concept into a dynamic 3D sequence that maintained geographic accuracy.
Creating a sense of motion and storytelling across a wide range of campaign locations, while keeping the design cohesive.
Coordinating map photography and achieving seamless integration with 3D textures and animation.
Strategy & Execution
I approached the project by blending tactile, real-world textures with stylized digital elements. The use of the atlas provided an authentic visual anchor, while the unfolding animations and patriotic symbolism helped unify the narrative across locations. Every piece of animation served both aesthetic and functional goals, reinforcing MSNBC’s message of deep, on-the-ground coverage.
Results
Delivered across MSNBC’s broadcast and social platforms as a flagship visual campaign for the 2020 election.
Earned industry recognition as a Promax Award finalist in 2021 in the Art Direction & Design: Animation category.
Conclusion
This project brought together storytelling, symbolism, and design innovation to highlight MSNBC’s unique approach to political coverage. By combining authentic American imagery with technical precision, the Road Warriors campaign successfully captured the energy and scope of the 2020 election trail.
