Performance Social Campaign
Open Network (Life.Church) is a global platform providing free curriculum, training, and resources for churches and ministry leaders worldwide.
This short-form paid social campaign promoted a free Sermon Series planning resource, translating a large content library into a single, clear message designed for fast-scrolling environments.
• Role – Motion Design Lead
Owned end-to-end creative execution from concept development through storyboarding, animation, and final delivery.
• Tools – After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro
Overview
This campaign promoted a free sermon series planning resource designed to help pastors quickly brainstorm and structure Bible-based content. The resource included:
• 24 sermon series across 8 core topics
• Content structured for 3–8 week teaching plans
• Downloadable notes and promotional assets
The primary goal was focused and measurable: drive downloads of the resource by clearly communicating its scope, value, and accessibility within a short-form social environment.
Scope & Constraints
Motion design for a 15–20 second paid social campaign was developed using a limited set of existing assets, including a nine-page PDF and still imagery from the guide.
The work focused on:
• Distilling a dense resource into a single, instantly understandable message.
• Designing motion for attention, clarity, and recall within a fast-scrolling feed.
• Balancing visual energy with legibility to
prevent overload.
Key Motion Decisions
• Visual system to signal breadth
To communicate the range of topics at a glance, sermon series thumbnails were transformed into small, modular tiles that animated across the screen.
These tiles served two purposes:
– Reinforce the breadth of content
– Establish a modern, inviting rhythm
Morph transitions connected tiles fluidly, maintaining energy while preserving continuity.
• Clarifying the message under attention constraints
Given the short runtime and social context, the campaign centered on one core message:
“8 Topics. 24 Series. All Free.”
Rather than attempting to explain the full contents of the guide, the motion prioritized immediate comprehension and directed viewers to where they could explore further.
White space and minimal copy were used intentionally to ensure the message could be read quickly, even without sound.
• Iteration toward clarity
Two motion directions were explored.
The initial version leaned more dynamic and expressive, while a second version organized tiles into a more structured layout. The selected direction balanced visual energy with a sense of order and calm, making the information easier to parse despite the fast pacing and music.
This iteration helped reduce visual noise while preserving momentum.
• Reinforcing value and destination
After establishing excitement and scope, the campaign briefly revealed a scrolling view of the PDF to ground the message in a tangible deliverable. A clear on-screen URL followed, ensuring viewers knew exactly where to find the resource.
Music and pacing were chosen to feel confident and contemporary, intentionally avoiding slower, traditional church media cues.
Exploration
Selected direction
Outcome
• Campaign ads running this creative achieved nearly a 50% reduction in cost per new account, lowering acquisition cost from a $3.00 target to approximately $1.50 per account.
• The campaign drove thousands of new users to the Open Network website.
• The sermon series promoted through this campaign was later ranked #1 “Top Resource of 2023” by downloads, reaching 115K downloads, as reported in the Ministry Impact Report.
• During the same period, overall sermon downloads increased 45% year-over-year, growing from 308K in 2022 to 448K in 2023, reflecting broader engagement growth across the platform.
• While results reflect the combined impact of messaging, distribution strategy, and timing, this campaign demonstrates how intentional motion can materially improve performance and efficiency within a larger growth system.
Credits
Design Direction and Product Assets – Open Network (Life.Church)
Music – Alex Kizenkov
