Cow Bubble Tea

Advertising and Storyboarding, 2021

This is an advertising campaign created for a small business located in Buffalo called Cow Bubble Tea.

Cow Bubble Tea is located right next to the University of Buffalo making its audience primarily college students. Furthermore, this bubble tea shop is the only one in the area offering a cute and welcoming atmosphere and branding (most bubble tea shops nearby are focused on sophisticated and/or authentic branding instead). So, this advertisement campaign focuses on encouraging overworked students to take a break and relax at Cow Bubble Tea, while taking on a cute cartoon style that both aligns with the company’s branding and fits the audience’s likely interest in anime or kawaii styles.

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Storyboard

Animation: Lanturn swings back and forth and its flame (as well as the light radiating from it) is flickering. The character trudges through the snow.

Camera: The camera slowly zooms out to reveal the full character.

Sound: Music playing, a soothing and calm instrumental. Faint sounds of wind and footsteps can be heard.

Animation: Lanturn is still swinging, and light is still flickering, BUT flame is getting smaller. The character still trudges through the snow.

Camera: The camera focuses on the character.

Sound: Same as the previous frame.

Animation: Fire goes out. The character stops walking. Everything feels as if it freezes for a moment.

Camera: The camera focuses on the character.

Sound: Music cuts out suddenly. All you can hear is the wind.

Animation: The character brings the lantern up towards her face so she can see the fireless lantern. Her expression grows fearful.

Camera: The camera cuts from the previous scene to this scene, zooming in very slightly throughout this moment.

Sound: There’s only the sound of the wind.

Animation: The character firsts brings her arm down quickly, almost as if it goes limp. Then she drops to the ground, letting go of her lantern and looking down.

Camera: The camera cuts from the previous scene to this scene.

Sound: There’s a soft thud sound as she drops to the ground. WInd sound continues. After she falls, the narrator says “Is your fire burning out?”

Animation: Will O Wisps light up one by one, almost appearing out of nowhere. The character slowly picks her head up, grabs her lantern, and starts to follow them.

Camera: The camera stays still until the character starts to follow the wisps. The camera then cuts to a shot of the wisps, a shot of the character’s feet walking, and a shot of the empty lantern swinging.

Sound: When the wisps light up, there’s a high wispy sound with chimes. Still windy, there are faint noises as the character gets up and starts walking.

Animation: The character stops and stares at the shop for a second, and the warm colors of the shop start to radiate before the camera cuts to the next scene.

Camera: The camera cuts to this scene and zooms in slightly.

Sound: The music from earlier starts to play again, faintly.