Conquer the Internet (Stavros & Katty)
In Belgium, Combell is the absolute pioneer and market leader in hosting and domain names. However, for many small business owners and SMEs, taking the step to launch a website or webshop feels like a massive technical hurdle. AdSomeNoise was brought in to lower this barrier, specifically driving brand awareness and sales for Combell's sitebuilder and custom domains.
Your Digital Storefront
Operating as a full-time self-employed professional myself, I intimately understand the hurdles of establishing a business identity. A website isn't just a technical platform; it's your digital storefront. It is just as crucial for a local independent shop as it is for a massive corporation. My vision was to show that this digital transition doesn't mean losing your unique character—it is simply a continuation of it on the internet.
From Brick-and-Mortar to Webshop
To make this relatable, we created two distinct, slightly absurd but highly recognizable characters: Stavros, the tough fisherman of 'Stavros' Straffe Zeeduivel', and Katty, the flamboyant owner of 'Katty's Cool Cat Zonnebrillen'.\n\nThe core idea was to visually transform their physical stores into a website. We wanted to keep the exact aesthetic and personality of their brick-and-mortar storefronts but recreate them digitally, proving that with Combell, the character of a small business owner smoothly transitions online.
Conquering the internet with fresh fish
Stavros' Straffe Zeeduivel Campaign Film
Fabulous sunglasses, online storefront
Katty's Cool Cat Zonnebrillen Campaign Film
A Masterclass in Mixed Media Collaboration
This campaign was a tight, multidisciplinary puzzle. I started by sketching the characters and the store facades. From there, Marcel Veelo stepped in to handle the casting, presenting us with a series of options to find the perfect real-life counterparts for our sketches, followed by the video and photography shoots.\n\nOnce the live-action elements were captured, I designed vector versions of the store facades, complete with custom lettering and illustrations. The next step was a close collaboration with Tom Bauwens, who translated these 2D vectors into stylized 3D assets using Blender. Tom brought a massive personal and creative contribution to the table, perfectly applying his skills to the initial vision. Finally, Tom and I teamed up to handle the motion graphics, bringing the transition from physical store to digital UI to life.
A Toolkit Built to Last
The campaign extended far beyond the hero videos. We developed a massive suite of assets, including display bannering, video advertisements, and social media content. More importantly, we built a flexible library of visual assets that Combell could continuously reuse across different touchpoints.
Long-Lasting Brand Presence
The true success of this campaign lies in its longevity. Delivered in January 2023, the client was incredibly happy with the result, and to this day, I still encounter the campaign's assets and characters "in the wild" under the Combell brand. It proved that a strong, character-driven concept can provide a brand with years of relevant, highly adaptable content.
This project was a massive collaborative effort across concept, design, 3D, and account management.
