INTRODUCTION
As part of the launch campaign, I worked on a commissioned digital animation, which helped Twitter gain traction in Africa. This ad highlights a common and relatable phenomenon that is widely talked about on Nigerian Twitter - “being served breakfast” - a common slang for “getting your heartbroken” or “being dumped by someone
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Media Encoder
THE BRAND
Twitter, Inc. is an American social media company based in San Francisco, California. The company operates the microblogging and social networking service Twitter. It previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope live streaming service.
THE TASK
Create an animated social media advertisement that can then be utilized for YouTube advertising as well, with sound effects. To make the production and animation style easier, brand assets were provided.
STORYBOARD
Challenges and Creative Decisions
1. Cultural Relevance vs. Brand Voice
One of the main creative challenges was ensuring that the campaign remained authentically Nigerian while still aligning with Twitter’s global brand identity. The phrase “served breakfast,” though common in Nigerian slang to mean heartbreak or rejection, might not be instantly understood by a global team or non-local audience. The creative decision to lean into the local slang boldly was intentional to build emotional connection and relatability with Nigerian users.
To balance this, the animation maintained Twitter’s clean UI, colors, and interaction style, ensuring visual familiarity while the language and humor brought in the regional flavor.
2. Simplicity in Storytelling
Given the short attention span of digital audiences, the story had to be told quickly, clearly, and humorously. The decision to use a linear mobile phone interaction as the core visual element ensured viewers could immediately recognize the Twitter interface and focus on the unfolding narrative.
The storyboard was structured with a setup-punchline format:
Setup: A tweet is composed and posted.
Punchline: Replies, memes, and quotes flood in, reinforcing the virality and relatability of the phrase.
3. Visual Tone and Style
To match Twitter’s aesthetic and keep production efficient, a flat illustration style with high contrast was used. The hands and phone interface are front and center, allowing the content (tweets and memes) to shine.
A creative choice was to use minimal background distractions (gray tone or wooden texture), keeping the attention on the action within the phone screen.
4. Conveying Virality and Humor
Twitter thrives on real-time interaction and humor, so a key challenge was simulating the feeling of a tweet going viral. To achieve this, I added:
“Ping!” sound effects and notifications visually popping up.
A progression from normal tweets to meme images and video reactions.
An ending where the screen is filled with quoted replies, capturing how fast and wide tweets can spread on Nigerian Twitter.
This sequence gave the animation a sense of speed and energy, mimicking actual Twitter banter and user behavior.
