Microsoft Defender Social Media Campaign

In September 2024, my team and I worked with Microsoft on a project to help drive downloads of their Defender mobile app among their modern parent audience. We combined native-feeling UGC footage with app demo animation to create a compelling and informative social media campaign across up to 3 scenarios: Identity Theft Monitoring, Device Protection and Security Hub Dashboard.

Using an intentionally scrappy, unpolished masking treatment during the UI demo which mimics an organic social post, we concepted, created and delivered four unique 15 second videos at 3 different aspect ratios.

9:16 videos run in media placements like Instagram Stories and Reels, Facebook Reels, Youtube Shorts and Tiktok.

16:9 videos run on various platforms including YouTube Pre- and Mid-Roll media placements.

1:1 videos run in media placements like Facebook and Instagram feeds.

Behind the scenes

Experimenting with Generative AI

We experimented with Leonardo AI’s new Character Reference technology and generative AI to help bring our ideas to life for our client during the conceptual storyboarding phase of the project.

This feature allows us to reference a single AI generated model (left) and create additional variations of that same model with different facial expressions (middle and right), hairstyles, wardrobe and environments. *Some touch up is still necessary

Generating images on the Leonardo AI platform gave us the control and flexibility needed to compose compelling and accurate depictions of our ideas. This helped us communicate and present our ideas to our clients and ultimately to our video production team in coordination with our custom video shoot.

The AI images helped initiate our casting, environment, wardrobe and styling conversations with our client. Additionally, it provided visual direction for the talent on the day of the video shoot, which was all directed, produced, filmed and edited by PureRed.