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Animated explainers for DNA testing

Animated explainers for DNA testing

Genetic test: CircleDNA
Bringing to life a unique brand DNA through a video series
Client
CircleDNA
Expertise

Strategy

Design

Animated explainers for DNA testing
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Calantha logo and illustration sketches

Problem:

CircleDNA sells the world’s most comprehensive at-home DNA test. Their DNA reports provide thorough insights into vital health, disease, and nutrition information that help people take preventive action and optimise their health. Against a category that harps on ancestral history through cold and hard science, CircleDNA is poised to become a category challenger. Despite this clear differentiation, the public’s lack of understanding and interest in genetic science is a huge barrier that CircleDNA needed to overcome to get more people interested in the brand.

What makes the brand’s DNA unique is clear. Our creative solution lies in making this meaningful differentiation come to life.

We created an animated series that would educate the public on the science of DNA in entertaining ways. The team looked beyond the category norms of being dull, serious, and academic, and approached it like a contemporary health and wellness brand would – informative but entertaining. This led to an animated video that clearly explains the science behind CircleDNA, without getting too technical. The fun and bubbly animation style make it easy to break down complex concepts in a way the audience can understand.

The series follows our main character, Sam, who went through a rigorous design process. Their exaggerated, but distinguishable features, paired with refined scientific imagery, help simplify the science for the viewer no matter how microscopic we get. The charming visuals were complemented by a script that brought the science to life in entertaining scenarios. No flashbacks to boring days in biology class here. 

Results:

Our first episode, “What is DNA?”, went live in April 2022. We are continuing to develop the following episodes with CircleDNA, which will continue to explore the power of DNA.

What makes the brand’s DNA unique is clear. Our creative solution lies in making this meaningful differentiation come to life.

We created an animated series that would educate the public on the science of DNA in entertaining ways. The team looked beyond the category norms of being dull, serious, and academic, and approached it like a contemporary health and wellness brand would – informative but entertaining. This led to an animated video that clearly explains the science behind CircleDNA, without getting too technical. The fun and bubbly animation style make it easy to break down complex concepts in a way the audience can understand.

The series follows our main character, Sam, who went through a rigorous design process. Their exaggerated, but distinguishable features, paired with refined scientific imagery, help simplify the science for the viewer no matter how microscopic we get. The charming visuals were complemented by a script that brought the science to life in entertaining scenarios. No flashbacks to boring days in biology class here. 

Results:

Our first episode, “What is DNA?”, went live in April 2022. We are continuing to develop the following episodes with CircleDNA, which will continue to explore the power of DNA.

GreenLight is listed at a US$1.2B valuation despite the headwinds and will be bringing its first product to market in the coming year.

NASDAQ: GreenLight Biosciences

Structuring highly technical information for sophisticated biotech investors for a NASDAQ listing

Problem: GreenLight Biosciences develops RNA solutions for some of the world’s existential problems: famine, disease and environment. They have a unique problem; their breakthroughs to previously insurmountable scientific problems were so novel, it was difficult to believe.

With the Theranos scandal unfolding daily on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and SPACs decidedly “on-the-nose”, the investor presentation not only had to diligently capture the facts, but present the science in a way that captivated sceptical minds.

Together with the GreenLight corporate affairs and science teams, we worked around the clock (literally) and combed through close to 1,000 pages, reviewing every single image, table and graph to make sure that the information was as clear as possible. If not, we built new visualisations of the data so that it was comprehensible with the least amount of cognitive load. On completion, a distillation of 56 slides was provided to investors and the SEC.

HUTCHMED’s Hong Kong listing opened at US$537M and saw a jump in share prices of 53%. 

HKEX: HUTCHMED

Attracting retail investors with an innovative scientific pipeline

Problem: HUTCHMED creates drugs for patients suffering from rare cancers, offering relief to those with few options to turn to. Their innovation team of scientists have developed groundbreaking drugs. But the average investor wants to invest in a company they understand, not distant, complex science.  

With 10 in-house developed drug candidates, over 40 global clinical trials, and a company of 4,600 employees, we needed to present the company’s many achievements in an accessible video for their Hong Kong listing. 

Working with HUTCHMED executives, we executed a brand film from start to finish. We developed a script with a clear structure that showcased the company’s impressive science but focused primarily on the dedicated team who makes it happen. We catalogued HUTCHMED’s library, made up of 20 years of footage, which we then utilised throughout the film. We also directed shoots across Hong Kong and China to showcase the capabilities of the executive team. We brought all these assets, including sleek animations from our in-house animator, together for a five-minute video that was published along with the company’s listing. 

Within a week of season two launch, 7,000 NFTs were minted and The Sevens made US$471K. 

NFT Drop: The Sevens

Building an engrossing narrative for a Web3 company’s NFT drop

Problem: The Sevens was one of the biggest NFT projects ever upon their launch. However, an error in the minting process allowed one user to purchase 1,000 Sevens NFTs. The intended limit was one NFT per person. Despite the honest mistake, this destroyed trust in the brand and gave them the dreaded label of “rug-pull.” 

However, The Sevens had no intention to take the money and run. They came to us to develop a long-term positioning for the brand that would help restore trust and promote their upcoming second season. 

After surveying the Discord community and core team, we pinpointed the next stage for The Sevens; an anime-inspired entertainment universe. We would provide concrete value to the public with a compelling story that pulled on their heartstrings. With two months till the season launch, we analysed the brand’s 10K+ NFTs, established key story characters, developed a cinematic world, established an animation art style, and created an animated teaser trailer that featured all these components. This long-term brand direction is meant to repair perceptions about The Sevens, and establish more meaningful brand connections with NFT buyers. 

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Animated explainers for DNA testing
Animated explainers for DNA testing
Animated explainers for DNA testing
Animated explainers for DNA testing