Eric Zhang

project overview
 

I conceptualized and executed this project end-to-end, leaning into the upbeat, party-centric atmosphere that defines Forza Horizon. Built for a casual audience, the game emphasizes pure, consequence-free fun—where players can send supercars off-road, land massive jumps, and smash through obstacles just for the thrill of it.

Inspired by viral gameplay clips of players finding creative ways to enjoy the game's sandbox nature, my goal was to highlight that lighthearted arcade spirit while introducing a fresh way to experience Horizon with the iconic Peel P50. To capture the festival vibes and vibrant game UI, I chose a mixed-media art direction to bring a sense of playfulness, unpredictability, and high-energy excitement to the promo.

​

​

​

Art Direction

​

• Mixed-Media Fusion: Combines crisp 3D renders with dynamic 2D graphic overlays, hand-drawn textures, and vibrant UI elements to create an energetic, multi-layered visual experience.

• Festival Color Palette: Leverages high-contrast, bold hues—drawing directly from Forza Horizon’s iconic music festival aesthetic to evoke excitement, celebration, and youth culture.

• Kinetic Typography & Motion: Utilizes playful, high-tempo typography transitions and collage-style framing to match the upbeat energy of the in-game soundtrack and radio stations.​​​

​

​

​

Strategy

​

• Casual Audience Engagement: Tailored specifically to reach casual gamers and broad social audiences who prioritize entertainment, humor, and sandbox creativity over strict racing mechanics.

• DLC Feature Awareness: Serves as a targeted conversion campaign to drive excitement and downloads for the Peel P50 DLC drop by showcasing the unique value proposition of the new vehicle.

• Reimagined Player Experience: Reframes how players interact with the game world, inspiring existing players to jump back in and experience the open world from a fresh, lighthearted perspective.

​​

​

​

Core Concept & Theme: "Unpeel Pure Fun"

​

This promotional spot leans into the lighthearted, arcade-driven spirit of Forza Horizon by blending mixed-media 2D motion graphics with high-fidelity 3D gameplay. The campaign revolves around the wordplay of "Peel"—physically peeling back graphic elements, layers, and typography to reveal the main attraction: the tiny, iconic Peel P50. The overriding tone is spontaneous, unpredictable, and purely about having fun.

Key Creative Pillars

​

1. The 2D-to-3D Visual Unpeel

• The Mechanism: The promo opens in a bold, 2D graphic world dominated by flat typography and vibrant festival colors. On-screen text like "PEEL" is constructed out of physical 3D text blocks with paper-like or vinyl surface textures.

• The Motion: As the camera sweeps past, key words literally peel back off the screen—curling and unrolling like stickers or paint tape—to transition smoothly from 2D motion graphics directly into the full 3D game environment underneath.

​

2. All Eyes on the Hero: Peel P50

• Scale & Focus: The campaign places the world’s smallest production car right at center stage.

• Highlighting Agility & Light Weight: The Peel P50 is framed as the ultimate spontaneous sandbox vehicle. Visuals emphasize its weightlessness: landing dramatic jumps off high ridges, weaving through tight alleys, and floating effortlessly over terrain where massive supercars struggle.

​

3. Kinetic Typography: Moving & Smashing Like Cars

• Car-Like Behavior: Text elements don't just animate; they behave like vehicles on a track. Giant letterforms drift around corners, burn rubber leaving tire-mark trails, and launch across screen cuts.

• Smash & Chaos: When the Peel P50 zips across the screen, it collides with giant bold 3D words (e.g., "TINY," "FAST," "FUN"). Instead of stopping the tiny car, the typography shatters, tumbles, and smashes into pieces across the frame like destructible in-game barriers.

​

​

Shot-by-Shot Sequence Overview

​

• The Hook (The Unpeel):

  • High-contrast 2D graphics fill the screen. A giant 3D word "PEEL" appears. A dynamic motion stroke physically pulls a corner of the typography, peeling it off the 2D plane to reveal a high-energy, 3D festival environment below.

​

• The Hero Reveal:

  • The camera drops low as the Peel P50 zips out from behind a peeled typography mask. It highlights the car's quirky design, micro-scale, and nimble handling as it darts between giant, floating 2D graphic overlays.

​

• Kinetic Typography & Obstacle Destruction:

  • Bold 3D words like "MAXIMUM" and "MINI" slam onto the road. The Peel P50 hits a ramp, flies through the air, and smashes right through the letters, scattering text fragments into full-screen particle effects.

​

• Spontaneous Sandbox Chaos:

  • A fast-paced montage demonstrating consequence-free fun: the Peel P50 doing donuts around massive off-road trucks, driving through festival tents, and pulling off impossible stunts with playful, hand-drawn 2D accents bursting around the tires.

​

• The Outro (Car Party Finish):

  • The promo culminates in a massive, lighthearted gameplay celebration. A fleet of Peel P50s and colorful supercars gather at the Horizon Festival main stage.

  • The cars bounce on their suspension, spin in sync, flash headlights to the music, and smash through confetti-filled boxes while vibrant UI frames, release details, and call-to-action branding lock into place.