Comic strip artist and character designer for brand's packaging and identity

Brief for Comic Strip Artist for Brand Pop&Go

Please find the detailed brief attached (fuller version) or below.



Why do we want comic strips?

We are launching a new brand of women's outdoor clothing and gear.
Our initial launch product is a clever item of clothing which is designed to save women a lot of hassle, provide comfort and keep them clear from embarrassing situations that can arise when travelling or generally on the go.

We thought we could use comic strips to actually illustrate the embarrassing situations/funny situations in question so customers can understand the benefits of the product and laugh at the comic story at the same time. The comic strip would appear on the product's packaging.

What's the clever item of clothing:

I will go into further details about the actual product once we have agreed to work together. I will need you to sign our non-disclosure agreement before I can explain the product in details.

Initial ideas to start the work:

Our initial ideas consist of a simple comic strip of maybe 2 to 4 boxes telling the story of two friends who are going to a festival or travelling together.
One of the women uses the new item of clothing and can enjoy the festival hassle-free, staying fresh.
Whereas her friend, who doesn't own the new item of clothing, didn't have such a hassle-free time, and ends up totally knackered with mud on her face .....

Style of comic strip:

I tend to prefer a simple straightforward style. The comic strip will be on the product's packaging so I need the customers to get the message very very quickly.

The strip will include both illustration and speech bubbles to get the message across but with a minimalistic and simplistic approach. The simpler the better. Just to get the message across but no more than that. So I guess the focus should be on the characters, their actions and what they say, and definitely less so on the background unless it is essential for getting the actual message across.

However this type of simpler comic strip seem more suitable for our purpose. Simple, neat, tidy,



Message expected from the comic strip and the characters:

I want two things from the comic strip:
1/ Ensure that customers understand what the product is about and the benefits of using the product.
2/ It should make them smile about the friend that fell in the mud, therefore enticing them to buy the product to avoid being in that friend's situation.

The comic strips would be both serious and entertaining. Exclusively for female adult customers, so not childish or girly in any way.

The characters:

The two friends will become the image of the brand so their personality has to fit in with our brand values:

Female
aged 18 to 35
Outdoorsy
Fun
Young
Adventurous/active
Innovative/creative
Friendly

How many stories/comic strips:

I think to start with I would like to be presented with a few concepts to choose from for the 2 characters so that they reflect the brand and its values.

Then I would like to focus on just one story to get the style right (simple and explicit). Again it's best if I can choose from a few options.

Then we will need an additional 2 comic strips as in total we will have 3 variations of our product, therefore 3 slightly different packaging, with 3 different comic strips/stories.

Product 1 is for festival (story of the 2 friends at a festival), product 2 for travelling/backpacking (the 2 friends are travelling), and product 3 for urban normal every day life (story of the 2 friends in everyday life). I will send you the stories and punch lines for each one of these "adventures". There are quick and simple.

Packaging type:

We haven't defined the exact packaging, design, and size but it will be some kind of a cardboard box like you would find for tights.



Deadline, fees, copyright and future work:

Deadline: Ready to start in the next 2-5 days. Ideally we would like all 3 comic strips finished before the end of the month.

Copyright and future work: This will not be a one-off assignment but a long-term team work. The characters will be part of the identity of our brand so we will need more stories about them. "The Adventures of Pop&Go": Pop&Go at the beach, Pop&Go skiing...etc.....according to our product development over the next months/years....
We want to own the copyright of the characters and comic strips and be able to use them at will for our brand. However we would welcome the signature of the artist on the comic strips and the artist could use the strips as examples of his/her work to show to future clients.

Fees: Either a one-off fee for the work involved to create the characters + 3 comic strips, including any amendments needed. Or a per hour system with an estimated number of hours upfront.

We are currently starting-up the brand and will launch our products in February 2012 at the Destination Show in Earl's Court, London. As any start-ups we don't have a big budget so please quote accordingly, and keep in mind that we are hoping to establish a long-term relationship.


Please contact me through peopleperhour:
Aurora Tyas