University of Liverpool

Supporting transformative opportunities for people, businesses and communities across Liverpool City Region

Challenge

Horizons is dedicated to support SMEs across the Liverpool City Region that want to improve their competitiveness and productivity. The programme, Funded by the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and created as a partnership between the University of Liverpool’s VEC (Virtual Engineering Centre), Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Edge Hill University provides practical, hands-on assistance that fosters economic growth and innovation.

We were assigned the responsibility of helping to launch “Horizons,” an SME business programme financed by the Government and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The core aim of the programme is to support 100 businesses across the Liverpool City Region by offering access to unique expertise, world-class facilities, and funding opportunities that are essential to foster innovation.

Our objective was to develop a solution to enhance the awareness and understanding of the initiative among target demographics, generate interest among potential participants, and ultimately guarantee a successful commencement of the project.

Strategy

To fulfil the requirements of the brief, we conceptualised and crafted a brief yet immersive visual narrative. This narrative seamlessly fed a detailed storyboard with captivating artwork for a short animation, concepted to ensure our audience could easily understand complex information and technological terminology with ease.

Our approach involved skillfully illustrating the program’s diverse offerings, detailed processes and access to cutting-edge technology. Additionally, we introduced a futuristic robot as a charismatic guide throughout the visual narrative, enhancing viewer engagement and interaction.

This robot served as a friendly companion, navigating viewers through the animation while interacting with dynamic graphics designed to underscore and highlight key themes and messages.

Through the careful integration of compelling visuals and accessible storytelling, our creation not only increased understanding, but also sparked interest and enthusiasm among potential participants, contributing to the successful launch and ongoing engagement of the “Horizons” initiative.

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Outcome

The hero asset earned a commendation from the client, who shared praise once it was delivered. The client found it perfectly aligned with the brief, seamlessly embodying the ‘brand’ look and feel, and surpassing expectations as an effective creative solution.

The animation was developed to offer a seamless user experience and simplify potentially complex information surrounding the program, without diluting it. This demonstrates the team’s ability to craft solutions that not only meet but exceed client expectations, reaffirming their dedication to delivering exceptional design outcomes.

Hosted on the project website, the animation serves as a dynamic introduction to the programme’s offerings, fostering engagement and interest from SMEs across the Liverpool City Region.

Additionally, the animation has been strategically integrated into the project’s LinkedIn profile, expanding its reach and impact within professional networks.

PHA North and the Creative team have played a crucial role in project's success to date, from developing important video assets, helping us to communicate our mission and impact, to securing exceptional coverage on a regional, national and industry level. The team have been strategic, proactive and a pleasure to work with , they rapidly aligned with our in-house marketing team and helped us to develop a communications and marketing campaign that integrated strategy, copy writing and media into an effective mix.

Andrew Borland

Chief Innovation Officer

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