Studio and Artist Exploration

For my second blog entry I am doing Studio and Artist Exploration. I chose to examine the design firm The Visionaire Group (thevisionairegroup.com). The Visionaire Group is interesting because it provides a wide range of media experiences. It designs promotional websites, flash advertisements, smart phone widgets and interactive flash-based games for both computers and phones.
TVG consists of two departments: design and advertising. TVG’s strength comes from the fact that these two departments fully support each other. The design team does not lose site of the advertising goals, and the advertising team is able to use artistically compelling design. In this way the design does not overshadow the practical (and financial) concerns of marketing. By utilizing well-designed banner ads and rich media, TVG creates compelling product and brand awareness.
As a marketing company, TVG aims to use innovative digital technology in order to promote products in the most entertaining way possible. Some parts of their promotional websites seem to lean towards viral marketing, as they seem to represent and promote an alternate reality. For example, part of the website for the new vampire movie Daybreakers (daybreakersmovie.com) immerses you in a world where humans are farmed for their blood. TVG uses social networking to endorse this idea. The website for the movie Repo Men (theunioncares.com) similarly presents and markets an alternate reality.
Although they design for several mediums, TVG’s design portfolio consists largely of film and television promotional websites. Some of their most prominent clients include Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, CBS and NBC. The websites TVG creates link to multiple media outlets. By utilizing social networking and widgets, TVG creates word-of-mouth for their clients. Solid Flash design directly supports TVG's marketing techniques.