The client
TDI, a Kratos company, builds rocket propulsion technology and takes pride in being made in America. Every year, the company sends its marketing list a holiday greeting featuring its own take on an American Santa powered by TDI’s rocket technology. The project came to me through a personal referral.
The challenge
The concept and the Santa illustration were provided: a rocket-powered reindeer, a flag-waving Santa, and a jet flyover, closing on “Proudly Made in the USA.” The hard part was technical. The greeting would be sent by email, and most email platforms don’t play video. The animation had to work as a GIF embedded in the email, and GIFs get very large very quickly. Every extra frame, color, and moving element adds file size, and an oversized GIF loads slowly or doesn’t load at all.
The solution
I animated the 17-second greeting in After Effects, then optimized it into a low-frame-rate GIF that keeps the file size under control while still delivering the motion and fun of the original. Getting there meant making practical trade-offs. Some elements of the concept had to be scaled back to be technically possible in a GIF, and I worked with the client to keep what mattered most: the rocket reindeer, the flag, the flyover, and the patriotic message.
The GIF works as a teaser. Clicking it takes recipients to a landing page with TDI’s Christmas message and the full-resolution version of the video, so the complete animation is one click away.
The result
TDI’s holiday email arrived with animation that loads quickly, grabs attention in the inbox, and drives recipients to the full video, all while staying true to a playful, patriotic tradition.
Want your emails to stand out?
UpTime Web Services designs animated email graphics and campaigns that load fast and get clicks. I work with businesses in Greeley, Eaton, and Garden City. Request a quote and let’s talk.
