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Eric Zhang

☺

creative practice specializing in design & motion

Product promotional video

Client: Nike
Product: Air Max 90
Skills: Art Direction, Motion Graphics Design, 3D Modeling, 3D Texturing & Shading, Lighting, Compositing, Video Editing, SFX
Software: Cinema 4D, Substance Suite, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects

FINAL DELIVERABLE

project overview

Nike Air Max footwear is defined by its iconic midsole technology—translucent, pressurized "Air units" designed to provide superior cushioning while significantly reducing shoe weight.

For this promotional concept, I focused on the element of "Air" itself, translating core product attributes—breathability, lightweight structure, and flexibility—into dynamic motion design. To complement Nike's bold brand identity, I established an active, minimal art direction that relies on clean visual hierarchy, crisp materials, and high-contrast styling to highlight the shoe in motion.

Colors

The color palette pairs Nike's energetic red with a soft light blue and crisp white.

To make the product pop, the high-contrast red hero elements stand out against the light blue background. The soft blue hue builds a lightweight, breathable atmosphere that visually mirrors the core concept of "Air" in Air Max.

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research and development

Reference research for 3D modeling, texturing, and shading.

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shot breakdown

Shot 01: Product Display Stand
I created and animated the product display stand in Cinema 4D, matching the top surface to the signature light blue background color. The sides feature a hollow-carved structure textured with translucent plastic to emphasize the core themes of lightness and breathability.

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Shot 02: Dynamic Shoe Animation & Flexibility
• Visual Narrative & Pacing: Following the Nike logo reveal in Shot 01, the sequence quickly cuts straight into product action—embodying the punchy, decisive tone of Nike's iconic "Just Do It" ethos.
• Technical Execution: Built in Cinema 4D, the shoe deformation was driven by Bend Deformers to showcase organic movement. The dynamic shoelace motion was constructed using MoGraph Tracers and cached to Alembic splines to ensure seamless, performant playback.
• Brand Storytelling: The fluid deformation directly reinforces the product's key attribute: high flexibility.

Texture maps

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Shoe Diffuse Map

Shoe Bump Map

Shoelaces Bump Map

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Shot 03: Product Name & Branding Activation
• Visual Narrative & Mechanics: Following the product sequence, the shoe descends and impacts the display stand, triggering the "Air Max" product name—functioning like a button press that inflates a balloon before culminating in the final brand logo reveal.
• Brand Storytelling: The tactile impact and reactive UI inflation visually reinforce the shoe's core features: breathable structure, lightweight feel, and adaptive flexibility.

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Cinema 4D R23.110 (RC) (Student License - Non-Commercial License for Yijiao Zhang) - [bubb

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