Aptos Case Study

Aptos is the kind of company that helps other companies simplify things, and we were determined to explain that vision clearly and impactfully. Read on to find out specifics about how we created a multipurpose marketing video for their products!

First, some background.

Aptos provides retailers everywhere with powerful software solutions from their global headquarters in Atlanta, GA. They wanted a video to simply explain their product and to showcase the advantages they offer to companies around the world. Their suite of software products organizes all the different sales cycles that are triggered when retailers reach out to potential customers—processes ranging from supply chain management to the customer lifecycle itself.

At the same time, Aptos wanted to explain their comprehensive software in an accessible way with an accessibly positive tone, and that’s where we stepped up to the challenge.

Client needs

Before we started our creative process, we listened carefully to Aptos’s specific requirements for this project. They told us that they wanted:

• A simple explanation of what their products do
• To show retailers that they are responsive enough to react to markets that change constantly
• To emphasize that they can handle any needs a business might have, regardless of sector
• A video that marketed their products to a large group of diverse industries

We took these requirements to heart during ideation, sharing with our creative team that we needed a video that emphasized creativity, assurance, capability, and many different types of retailers.

“The 3D animation is really robust in this project, and the team really brought the box city to life. [We included] a ton of detail!”

- Stuart Fleisher, Creative Director

The creative process

While our creative team explored many different avenues for sharing the Aptos message, they ultimately pitched a shortlist of 3 powerful animated concepts, each accompanied by a different angle on the Aptos message.

We chose animation because it’s a timeless video medium that’s highly effective and great at explanation—it offers a powerful approach to marketing, PR, internal communications, and more. Our concepts were also very colorful and whimsical, so we instantly recognized that animation would offer us more freedom to bring them to life.

We rolled the descriptions of each concept into a short presentation for the Aptos team, including some full color “style frames” created by our animation team. Style frames are still images from uncreated videos—they allow our clients to peek into the future and glimpse what colors and animation styles we would use for the video if they were to choose that story and visual concept.

“I always look forward to working with the talented team at The DVI Group! These guys consistently deliver clever, well thought out, and engaging ideas to tell a story that goes well beyond even what I think is possible.”

Ultimately, Aptos chose a concept we named “The Box.” It takes the timeless retail symbol of the gift box to a whole new level, using it to show off Aptos’s goals, features, and incredible software capabilities.

The finished product

The final video immerses viewers in a retail world, complete with ever-changing product boxes and delightfully rendered storefronts. In the background, voiceover shares the Aptos message.

As our Creative Director, Stuart Fleisher, says: “The 3D animation is really robust in this project, and the team really brought the box city to life. [We included] a ton of detail!”

Others thought this video was well done, too: in April, our team brought home a Platinum Muse Award for animation excellence in the Aptos video!

Most importantly, the client loved the final product. Chris Cottos, Creative Director for Aptos, said,

On top of winning an award and gaining the enthusiastic approval of our client, this project was an exciting adventure for our 3D animation team. We were thrilled to be able to wrap the Aptos message up in a bow!

Watch the final Aptos marketing video below.