LOS ANGELES — State Design (www.statedesign.tv) is celebrating its third year with a new space and Website. The company also debuted an animated statement video that expresses the State culture, employing impactive storytelling, visual artistry and playful voiceover. Since launching in 2014, State Design has produced work for Amazon, NFL Network, Nickelodeon, IFC, ESPN and FS1. The studio specializes in design, animation, live-action direction and editorial.
“We launched with a dream to create great work on our own terms,” says Marcel Ziul, owner/executive creative director. “Our company statement, relaunched Website and new work embody the enduring creative spirit that has made our dream a reality. We continue to evolve and diversify from our broadcast roots, as our dedicated team of producers and artists take on more demanding projects that require multifaceted creative solutions for TV and brand clients.”
“State is small, but we’re not ‘small time,’” adds Alex dos Santos, State Design’s executive producer. “We dream big, and we execute big - but we remain boutique in size, taking on a select number of projects in order to give our clients hands-on, personal attention. No job takes priority over another. Past, present, and future clients will always receive our love and focus as if their project were the only one in the door.”
State’s new space was custom-built with efficient workflow and project scalability in mind. Integral to the new Website is a portfolio of work that shows off more of its premium commercial-quality work. One such project is the co-branded No Brainer commercial campaign for IFC and various sponsors, such as Nationwide, Cheetos, Burger King, LegalZoom, Corona and Subway. State Design developed and designed the aesthetic for these mini-shows, ensuring that each one would reflect the unique storyline of each sponsor while maintaining the distinct brand look of the network. Its depth of experience, coupled with its ability to customize creative executions, has proven especially valuable and beneficial for clients.
“What sets Marcel and State Design apart is that they always come up with intriguing ideas,” says Michael Waldron, SVP creative director art + design at Nickelodeon, Nick@Nite and TV Land. “I can give any assignment to them, and they’ll not only come back with a fresh and different approach, but they’ll also challenge the way we would typically look at the project. Our Nick Summer campaign is a recent example of this. It was completely live-action, which is an expertise they’re not commonly known for, and Marcel was the perfect person to interact with and direct the kids, capturing interesting camera angles and real moments.”
“Our strengths continue to lie in the realm of design, animation and direction,” concludes Ziul. “We’ve always been upfront about the fact that we’re not a larger agency that specializes in brand strategy or messaging. Our goal is to keep producing unique, compelling, and fun content, and to find clients and talented people who will push us creatively. To us, that means comfortably traversing between the worlds of advertising, broadcast, sports and beyond.”