HarperCollins, Micro

The Brief:

We were asked to create a trailer for the new blockbuster book by the king of the high-concept tech thriller.

'Seven Nation Army' meets Saul Bass on the set of Jurassic Park – a kinetic and cinematic take on the fledgling art of the book trailer.

Publishers HarperCollins were very clear that potential readers should associate Micro with the massive hit-movie version of Crichton's book Jurassic Park, evoking the combination of thrills, cutting-edge technology and deep research which have become his hallmarks. It would also need to make a very strong link to the book's cover design.

The Project:

Excited by the 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids' on steroids feel, we took the opportunity to play with concepts of scale and movement, while also exploiting the strong colourway and graphic quality of the cover. After starting with a 'cellular' motif and slightly retro type style to evoke the vibe of a 50s movie title sequence, the trailer quickly shifts to a more sinister tone after the title is revealed, pulling back on a seemingly endless pan which exits through the red iris on the cover, making for a thrilling transition to the final product shot.

Testimonial:

‘When I asked One Darnley to work on this project I was sure that they would make a slick, exciting trailer for Micro. What I didn’t expect was the visual wit and sheer entertainment value they managed to wring from my script. I love the end result’.

Benedict North,
Creative Director, HarperCollins Publishers UK

'Books can be complicated creatures. Capturing the essence of a book in under 60 seconds is tough but time after time One Darnley Road have nailed it – this Micro trailer is a great example. Darnley Road always understands our vision for a book and translates that vision into a trailer with the impact of a movie ad. Astounding!'

Helen Marriage,
Marketing Consultant, HarperFiction