A caffeinated cereal? "Surely not for children," we hear you say. And about that, you'd be right—Arouse Caffeinated Cereal is certainly not for kids. We leaned heavily into "adult" and furnished this brand with an appropriately grown-up narrative, packaging, and more.

A big thank you to instructor, Carson Ting for allowing us to break his course and create something we were excited about. Appreciate your guidance and support Carson!

Arouse is a cereal for A-type personalities—those who prefer when life falls into an organized grid where maximum efficiency means maximum productivity. The cereal packaging design uses type and grid to evoke a strong sense of structure that elicits the same release as having your life in order. The spartan design reinforces Arouse's values to its target audience: no weird or extra ingredients here, either. There's nothing extraneous. There can only be what's essential.

We art-directed and shot a series of print ads for Arouse that play on the perfectionist tendencies of the A-type personality. We didn't just want to show a sense of order but create a level of organization that is extreme to some and pleasing to others.

I enjoy executing creative work in a bind—the pressure generated by quick turnarounds, lack of equipment, and little in the way of budget offers a fun challenge. For this shoot, I worked with natural lighting, found objects around the house, and stood on chairs, holding the camera high enough over my head to capture the image.

Though our narrative concept is about A-type personalities, we also wanted to find a way for Arouse to own morning rituals. Collateral like these yoga mats continue the story by linking the brand to other morning activities in a way aligned with our core messaging.

We also shot a series of three ads for Arouse that capture the lengths that A-type personalities will go to achieve maximum efficiency in their morning routines. While the ridiculous activities in these spots are not worth saving you time, combining breakfast and coffee—in other words, Arouse Cereal—is worth it. I shot, edited, colour-graded, and completed the sound design for these spots, and it was a blast. I'd love to direct more spots in the future!