Braun Arctic Mission

The Braun Arctic Mission project was part of my internship at Leo Burnett Milan, where there was the opportunity to lead the creative team for the development of Braun Arctic Mission (Missione Artico in Italian), an online video game to be hosted inside Braun’s loyalty platform Braunhaus.

“Braun Arctic Mission” was an interactive game part of the Braunhaus platform, a Braun initiative, where users would collect lost elements of a secret product to win exclusive discounts.

The Game Mechanics and Strategy

The dynamic was pretty simple: users would receive email alerts and week by week they would receive new missions to finally discover the brand new shaving machine from Braun. And after completing the mission, they would receive different levels of discount depending on their loyalty.

Gamification in marketing refers to the strategic integration of game-like elements and mechanics into non-gaming contexts to engage customers, enhance user experiences, and drive desired behaviours.

The Arctic Mission transformed routine product launches into an engaging narrative journey that rewarded loyal customers whilst building anticipation for Braun’s new shaver.

From UX/UI to Full Creative Direction

At the beginning, I was engaged just to design the UX/UI of the platform and define the interaction mockups so the developers could move ahead with easiness.

Game UI design focuses on creating intuitive and visually appealing interfaces that enhance the player’s experience whilst UX design ensures that the overall interaction with the game is seamless and enjoyable.

The interface needed to feel game-like and engaging whilst remaining accessible for Braun customers who might not be regular gamers.

But after some consultations with the Creative Directors, they discovered I was pretty good at matte painting and instead of hiring a Disney artist to do the imagery, they asked me if I could do it. I was pretty happy to do it since that would allow full control on how everything would look and have a more precise storytelling.

Matte Painting for Arctic Environments

Matte painting is the art of creating photorealistic or stylised painted environments that can be seamlessly integrated into digital media.

For Braun Arctic Mission, I developed comprehensive matte painting illustrations that established the game’s visual world: frozen Arctic landscapes, mysterious ice formations, hidden technological elements suggesting the secret Braun product.

The Arctic setting served multiple purposes. It conveyed innovation and cutting-edge technology (appropriate for a premium shaver launch), created visual intrigue and mystery (perfect for a treasure hunt game), and allowed for stunning visual environments that elevated the entire experience beyond typical promotional games.

Having full creative control meant I could ensure visual consistency across all game stages, embed storytelling clues within the artwork, and create environments that guided users naturally through their missions whilst maintaining high production values throughout.

Video Teaser Direction

At the final part of the process, they asked me also if I could direct the video teasers to be found inside the game with clues for users, and so I did.

These video teasers functioned as both entertainment and guidance, offering hints about where to find the next piece of the secret product whilst building narrative momentum. Each video needed to maintain the mysterious Arctic atmosphere, provide genuine value to players seeking clues, and feel cinematic enough to reward players who discovered them.

The teasers combined the matte painting environments with motion graphics and sound design, creating atmospheric pieces that enhanced the overall game experience. This comprehensive creative approach ensured every element of Arctic Mission felt cohesive and premium.

Trust, Responsibility, and Results

One of the best experiences at Leo Burnett, I was super happy with the level of trust, responsibility and freedom I was awarded with.

Starting as an intern tasked with UX/UI design and evolving into full creative director for the project demonstrated how opportunity meets preparation. The Creative Directors recognised capabilities beyond the initial brief and empowered me to deliver comprehensive creative vision rather than compartmentalised execution.

And the client could not be happier with the results. The Arctic Mission successfully launched Braun’s new shaver through an engaging loyalty programme that rewarded existing customers whilst demonstrating Braun’s commitment to innovation and premium experiences.

Project Vitals

Client: Braun
Agency: Leo Burnett Milan
Platform: Braunhaus (Braun loyalty programme)
Video Director: Massimo Sbaracani
Role: UX/UI Designer, Art Director, Matte Painter, Video Director
Game Mechanic: Weekly email missions revealing pieces of secret product
Rewards: Loyalty-based discount levels
Year: 2015 (internship project)
Creative Evolution: Started with UX/UI brief, expanded to full creative direction
Result: Client extremely satisfied with results