Sainsbury’s entertained the nation this Christmas with their musical TV ad, ‘The Greatest Gift’. This animated, stop motion film captured the imagination of millions, with a heart-warming message on spending time with family at Christmas.

But once the TV ad aired, the brand needed a way to keep customers entertained, and make the brand message ‘Christmas Is For Sharing’, real. With a long Christmas period ahead – cluttered with marketing – the solution needed to stand out from the crowd.

The idea of bringing loved ones together for the festive period formed the basis of the brief. It was essential that the solution be both family focussed and interactive. With the Christmas period being so crowded with brand messaging, we had to find a way to cut through, creating something of genuine worth to busy families.

Working as an agile team of UX, Tech, Design and Copywriting, our first step was to workshop existing filmmaking apps with kids, to find out what key features ours should or shouldn’t include.

The design used cues from the Christmas activity. However, to ensure the longevity of the app, we used campaign neutral art-direction. Bright, bold colours and simple typefaces give ‘Story Studio’ an aesthetic that appeals to both kids and adults. Every design element plays a functional role, so there’s no visual clutter to complicate the user experience.

The app was implemented across the Google Play Store and App Store, with social media driving to download across Facebook and Twitter. The app and associated box set were also advertised at point of sale in Sainsbury’s stores.