Building a Brand from Scratch: The Journey from Concept to 300M+ Views
End-to-End Series Production
Castaways
Building a Brand from Scratch: The Journey from Concept to 300M+ Views
When Branch approached us, they didn't just need an animation; they needed a world. We were tasked with the soup-to-nuts creation of an original series, taking the lead on everything from initial ideation and world-building to final post-production and a multi-platform digital growth strategy.
Client
Branch Technologies
Released
February 1, 2025
Timeframe
12 months
Project Type
End-to-End Series Production
Technology
Series Development 2D Animation Post Production Brand Expansion
Castaways
Overview
Beyond the primary series, we executed an aggressive brand expansion. This included a dedicated pipeline for short-form content tailored for Reels and TikTok, as well as a massive Giphy integration designed to inject the characters into the daily digital conversations of millions.
The project began in the writers' room, where we developed the core narrative and character archetypes for Castaways. Our goal was to create a cohesive universe that could live across multiple formats, ensuring the brand felt as native to a streaming screen as it did to a mobile feed.
Castaways
The Challenge
The primary hurdle was creating a "limitless" IP that remained production-friendly. We had to design a visual language and a world-building framework that could scale from 15-second comedic beats on social media to longer episodic narratives without losing its distinct personality.
In a saturated digital landscape, gaining organic traction is notoriously difficult. We needed a way to bridge the gap between "content" and "culture," ensuring that Castaways wasn't just watched, but used as a tool for expression by the internet at large.
Castaways
The Solution
We took full ownership of the pre-to-post pipeline. By housing storyboarding, voice acting, character design, and animation under one roof, we maintained total creative control. This allowed for a rapid-response production model where social trends could be integrated into the animation schedule in real-time.
Series Development 2D Animation Post Production Brand Expansion
To tackle the reach challenge, we implemented a strategic GIF and sticker campaign on Giphy. We identified high-use emotional triggers and created character-driven reactions that felt natural in messaging apps, effectively turning our characters into a universal digital language.
Castaways
Castaways
Performance Results
Castaways successfully launched as a multi-channel entertainment brand. The core series established a loyal fan base, while the short-form content on TikTok and Reels significantly lowered the cost of user acquisition and increased brand sentiment across Gen Z and Millennial demographics.
Reach
Total Views
Fans Created
Subscribers / Followers
Loyal Fans
Discord members
The Giphy strategy exceeded all expectations, breaking through the noise to achieve over 300 million views. This massive organic reach converted passive scrollers into brand advocates, cementing Castaways as a culturally relevant IP with a permanent footprint in digital communication.
Castaways
Final thoughts
A masterclass in end-to-end IP development, we successfully ideated, produced, and marketed Castaways, transforming a blank canvas into a viral powerhouse with hundreds of millions of impressions.
Castaways
Credits
Dayton Mills
Emily Satterfield
Kimberly Gouge, Chloé Christina, Victoria Aldrich
Sophie Feher
Executive Producer & Lead Creative
Art Director
Animators
Narrative Lead
Previous Project
Next Project
Building a Brand from Scratch: The Journey from Concept to 300M+ Views
End-to-End Series Production
Castaways
Building a Brand from Scratch: The Journey from Concept to 300M+ Views
When Branch approached us, they didn't just need an animation; they needed a world. We were tasked with the soup-to-nuts creation of an original series, taking the lead on everything from initial ideation and world-building to final post-production and a multi-platform digital growth strategy.
Client
Branch Technologies
Released
February 1, 2025
Timeframe
12 months
Project Type
End-to-End Series Production
Technology
Series Development 2D Animation Post Production Brand Expansion
Castaways
Overview
Beyond the primary series, we executed an aggressive brand expansion. This included a dedicated pipeline for short-form content tailored for Reels and TikTok, as well as a massive Giphy integration designed to inject the characters into the daily digital conversations of millions.
The project began in the writers' room, where we developed the core narrative and character archetypes for Castaways. Our goal was to create a cohesive universe that could live across multiple formats, ensuring the brand felt as native to a streaming screen as it did to a mobile feed.
Castaways
The Challenge
The primary hurdle was creating a "limitless" IP that remained production-friendly. We had to design a visual language and a world-building framework that could scale from 15-second comedic beats on social media to longer episodic narratives without losing its distinct personality.
In a saturated digital landscape, gaining organic traction is notoriously difficult. We needed a way to bridge the gap between "content" and "culture," ensuring that Castaways wasn't just watched, but used as a tool for expression by the internet at large.
Castaways
The Solution
We took full ownership of the pre-to-post pipeline. By housing storyboarding, voice acting, character design, and animation under one roof, we maintained total creative control. This allowed for a rapid-response production model where social trends could be integrated into the animation schedule in real-time.
Series Development 2D Animation Post Production Brand Expansion
To tackle the reach challenge, we implemented a strategic GIF and sticker campaign on Giphy. We identified high-use emotional triggers and created character-driven reactions that felt natural in messaging apps, effectively turning our characters into a universal digital language.
Castaways
Castaways
Performance Results
Castaways successfully launched as a multi-channel entertainment brand. The core series established a loyal fan base, while the short-form content on TikTok and Reels significantly lowered the cost of user acquisition and increased brand sentiment across Gen Z and Millennial demographics.
Reach
Total Views
Fans Created
Subscribers / Followers
Loyal Fans
Discord members
The Giphy strategy exceeded all expectations, breaking through the noise to achieve over 300 million views. This massive organic reach converted passive scrollers into brand advocates, cementing Castaways as a culturally relevant IP with a permanent footprint in digital communication.
Castaways
Final thoughts
A masterclass in end-to-end IP development, we successfully ideated, produced, and marketed Castaways, transforming a blank canvas into a viral powerhouse with hundreds of millions of impressions.
Castaways
Dayton Mills
Emily Satterfield
Kimberly Gouge, Chloé Christina, Victoria Aldrich
Sophie Feher
Executive Producer & Lead Creative
Art Director
Animators
Narrative Lead
Previous Project
Next Project
Building a Brand from Scratch: The Journey from Concept to 300M+ Views
End-to-End Series Production
Castaways
Building a Brand from Scratch: The Journey from Concept to 300M+ Views
When Branch approached us, they didn't just need an animation; they needed a world. We were tasked with the soup-to-nuts creation of an original series, taking the lead on everything from initial ideation and world-building to final post-production and a multi-platform digital growth strategy.
Client
Branch Technologies
Released
Feb 1, 2025
Timeframe
12 months
Project Type
End-to-End Series Production
Technology
Series Development 2D Animation Post Production Brand Expansion
Castaways
Overview
Beyond the primary series, we executed an aggressive brand expansion. This included a dedicated pipeline for short-form content tailored for Reels and TikTok, as well as a massive Giphy integration designed to inject the characters into the daily digital conversations of millions.
The project began in the writers' room, where we developed the core narrative and character archetypes for Castaways. Our goal was to create a cohesive universe that could live across multiple formats, ensuring the brand felt as native to a streaming screen as it did to a mobile feed.
Castaways
The Challenge
The primary hurdle was creating a "limitless" IP that remained production-friendly. We had to design a visual language and a world-building framework that could scale from 15-second comedic beats on social media to longer episodic narratives without losing its distinct personality.
In a saturated digital landscape, gaining organic traction is notoriously difficult. We needed a way to bridge the gap between "content" and "culture," ensuring that Castaways wasn't just watched, but used as a tool for expression by the internet at large.
Castaways
The Solution
We took full ownership of the pre-to-post pipeline. By housing storyboarding, voice acting, character design, and animation under one roof, we maintained total creative control. This allowed for a rapid-response production model where social trends could be integrated into the animation schedule in real-time.
Series Development 2D Animation Post Production Brand Expansion
To tackle the reach challenge, we implemented a strategic GIF and sticker campaign on Giphy. We identified high-use emotional triggers and created character-driven reactions that felt natural in messaging apps, effectively turning our characters into a universal digital language.
Castaways
Castaways
Performance Results
Castaways successfully launched as a multi-channel entertainment brand. The core series established a loyal fan base, while the short-form content on TikTok and Reels significantly lowered the cost of user acquisition and increased brand sentiment across Gen Z and Millennial demographics.
Reach
Total Views
Fans Created
Subscribers / Followers
Loyal Fans
Discord members
The Giphy strategy exceeded all expectations, breaking through the noise to achieve over 300 million views. This massive organic reach converted passive scrollers into brand advocates, cementing Castaways as a culturally relevant IP with a permanent footprint in digital communication.
Castaways
Final thoughts
A masterclass in end-to-end IP development, we successfully ideated, produced, and marketed Castaways, transforming a blank canvas into a viral powerhouse with hundreds of millions of impressions.
Castaways
Dayton Mills
Emily Satterfield
Kimberly Gouge, Chloé Christina, Victoria Aldrich
Sophie Feher
Executive Producer & Lead Creative
Art Director
Animators
Narrative Lead
Previous Project
Next Project
We tell epic stories
What's yours?
Start your project now by booking a consultation.
We've worked with the best
We tell epic stories
What's yours?
Start your project now by booking a consultation.
We've worked with the best
We tell epic stories
What's yours?
Start your project now by booking a consultation.
We've worked with the best