Los Angeles-based design, animation, digital and production studio We Are Royale celebrates its eighth anniversary with a refreshed logo & website.
Los Angeles, CA & Seattle, WA -- Award-winning 3D-animated spot for Oreo, check. Augmented reality calendar, check. CG and live-action spot for Nike with real snakes, check. Real-time social media response project with Chinese tennis star Li Na, check. This recent string of work reflects a bold new trajectory for We Are Royale, which celebrates its 8th anniversary this summer. Formerly known as Royale, the company is embracing it all with its full name, a refreshed company logo, We Are Royale manifesto and new website.
“Technically, we’ve always been ‘We Are Royale,’ but we wanted to own it in a more direct way,” explains We Are Royale partner and executive creative director Brien Holman. “The name purposely reflects who we are as a company and how we collaborate as a team, internally and with clients, to serve the greater good. It’s about bringing everyone into our culture, and having fun in the process. This idea is expressed in our refreshed logo, where the crown finds its place at the heart of the typography, supported by the team that represents it.”
“We expect high standards from everyone we work with, but in a landscape in which creative needs are shaped by so many forces, We Are Royale brings two key things that always make the positive difference: the ability to truly collaborate and the desire to push creativity as a means to innovate,” says David Reti, NYC brand communications director at Nike.
Since launching in 2007 in Los Angeles, We Are Royale has continuously bulked up its design, creative and digital production capabilities, and expanded its operations to Seattle, Washington in 2013. Today, these two locations work in tandem to create cohesive branding strategies for broadcast, digital, print, and other media for such clients as Nike, Apple, Sonos, Toyota, Disney and Coca-Cola.
“After eight years of growth, we’re truly in the midst of a creative liberation,” explains Jayson Whitmore, We Are Royale Partner/Executive Creative Director. “Whether it’s character design, apps, or augmented and virtual reality, technology is allowing us to create without restrictions. Clients are coming to us to help them solve increasingly complex creative problems. After all, we’re here to help brands develop deeper relationships through interesting content as new avenues open and expand.”
Integral to the new website are in-depth case studies, which colorfully demonstrate the thinking and process behind We Are Royale’s creative solutions with a touch of their sense of humor.
The team also produced an animated We Are Royale manifesto to express the company culture in the way they know best: storytelling, visual art and cameos by Voltron and Tom Selleck's illustrious mustache.
“We love what we do and it carries through every detail,” says We Are Royale partner and managing director Jen Lucero. “The process is equally as valuable as the solution in the final product. Everything is specifically tailored to and for the project. It’s not about pushing our personal agenda, but pushing a collaborative one, which is why our work is so eclectic and diverse.”
Over the years, We Are Royale has also developed several passion projects that push the creative boundaries. Allowing its staff to play, experiment and try new technologies is indicative of the company’s commitment to creative culture.
The payoffs can be seen in their CG-animated shorts “Impossible Present” and “The Bell Ringer,” which put We Are Royale on the map as a storytelling and animation tour-de-force; and their recent mixed-media augmented reality calendar app, which served as a memorable holiday gift for clients and colleagues.
“Some of our best screened work is internally produced,” concludes Holman. “It’s in our nature to keep seeking the unexpected, which is why we love the most obscure client briefs.”
Source: We Are Royale
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
