Swatch | Colors of Joy

Direction, Design & Animation

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We partnered with Swatch to craft a global campaign for their new Colors of Joy collection. This project was a true creative playground — Swatch gave us the freedom to explore, play, and channel our inner kids again during 4 weeks of pure exploration.

Inspired by carefree summer days, we brought the watches to life with a joyful attitude, turning them into vibrant characters with personality. From beach volleyball showdowns to jellyfish-like movements and clam-like quirks, the watches interact with each other in whimsical, unexpected ways.

A collage of nine colorful images featuring Swatch watches, abstract and playful designs, including a green watch on a lemon, a blue watch on a white background, a red watch surrounded by irregular green and orange shapes, a close-up of colorful sprinkles, and a pink watch with a swirling background.

Designing with a Smile

We created a colorful, fun visual world that captures the spirit of play​​​​​​​, positivity, and pure summer joy. If there’s one thing this project reminded us, it’s that above all, design should be fun, and we definitely had an incredible time designing these visuals, so we’re excited to share the results with you!

A blue Swatch watch with a transparent strap and face displayed on stacked concrete blocks against a pastel gradient background.

From Zero to Times Square in 4 Weeks

This project was a true creative sprint.. we only had four weeks (yes, 4 weeks!) to generate as many ideas as possible. We had a blast experimenting with the product and pushing it in playful directions. Our goal was to elevate the product animation by focusing on strong keyframes, expressive character attitudes, and keeping the environments minimal yet colorful.

Digital rendering of a futuristic watch with a transparent blue band and a black circular face, displaying the words 'Swatch' and 'GLID Studio.' Blue background, social media and website text around the edges.
A wristwatch with a blue band and face, placed among large purple 3D letters spelling 'LOVE', against a yellow background.
A blue wristwatch with a transparent strap placed in front of a pink and blue 3D letter-style sign.
A blue watch with an abstract 3D design surrounded by blue and black background elements and the word 'My' written above it.

Design should always be fun.

A little reminder for artists and designers: even if some pieces never make it to the final cut, they’re still part of the ride... the exploring, experimenting, and, most importantly, the joy of creating. Letting loose and enjoying the process is always worth it. If you’re smiling (or giggling) while making it, chances are others will feel that joy when they see it too.

Colorful balloons spelling out 'joy' surrounding an orange transparent watch with a pink watch face.
Six colorful wristwatches arranged in a circle on a pastel purple background.

The Heart of it all

At the core of our exploration was the idea of rhythm.... a steady pulse that gives life to everything around it. Our abstract cylinder (bottom left image) symbolizes the heart of the watch, ticking with a constant, unwavering beat. From this pulse, the watch’s individual parts and even its surrounding environment find their motion, all moving together in harmony with the same rhythm of the heart.

A transparent green digital wristwatch with a round face, placed on a bumpy yellow-green surface.

Beyond the Watch

We were asked to animate and render lots of watches moving gracefully, interacting with each other, and forming playful compositions. But we pushed things further by deconstructing the product in unexpected ways, exploring new shapes, movements, and perspectives that revealed fresh sides of the design.

Close-up of a neon green Swatch wristwatch with a translucent band and face, yellow hour markers, and the time showing approximately 3:10. The background is a clear blue sky.
Close-up of colorful translucent watches, mainly purple and yellow, with minimalistic designs against a gradient background.
Two translucent plastic watches, one purple and one yellow, with matching bands and round faces, floating against a pastel gradient background.

Bouncy Summer Energy

To amplify the carefree energy of summer, we explored inflatable-inspired forms and lighthearted visual elements. Think pool toys, beach balls, and floating shapes, all reimagined in a colorful, graphic way. These bouncy, airy visuals added a sense of play and relaxation, perfectly matching the joyful spirit of the collection and making the watches feel right at home in a vibrant summer world.

Close-up of a colorful, abstract art piece with a translucent purple object, a metallic-looking sphere, and a bright yellow geometric structure, set against a pastel purple background with text overlays.
Close-up of a purple Swatch Swiss watch with a transparent face and band against a blue background.
Two colorful wristwatches, one purple and one neon green, with transparent bands, floating against a gradient pastel background.

Watch This!

Some more ideas ticking to the steady rhythm of the watch, while others are inflated into playful, surreal forms, everything moving in unexpected ways.

Underwater Creatures

In this series, the watches transform into playful underwater beings... drifting, swimming, and moving with a slow, fluid grace. Each one takes on a life of its own, like jellyfish pulsing or sea creatures gliding through colorful depths. Fun, unexpected, and a little surreal. We love to think that our concepts from 2024 inspired Swatch to create their campaign Scuba 2025 one year later.

Close-up of a pink plastic link bracelet against a gradient pink and yellow background.
Close-up of a pink Swatch watch with a transparent face showing gears inside, set against a gradient background of pink, purple, and blue.

Times Square NYC 3D Billboard

We had the amazing task to design a custom 3d billboard for Times Square in NYC. We translated the campaign concept into a vibrant spatial experience, using gradients and depth to reinforce the 3d illusion, and the unique character to the watches. Thanks to our expertise in anamorphic 3D billboards, we were able to bring this piece to life in a remarkably short time.

Colorful Swatch watches on display in a glass case with a black background.
Two colorful Swatch watches, one orange and one blue, displayed in a glass enclosure against a pink background with broken wall edges.
Display case featuring two colorful transparency Swatch watches, one yellow-green on the left and one purple on the right, inside a brick and foam display box.

Behind the Process 

A little peek behind the curtain at some of the shots from our creative research and animation. A few made it into the final campaign, a few stayed on our hard drives, but honestly we love them all.

Project: Colors of Joy
Client: Swatch
Direction, Design & Animation: Glid Studio

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FULL CREDITS

A project by: Glid Studio
CD: Guido Lanari
EP: Marco Lanari

Artists: Vincent Schwenk, Fran Rossi, Sergio Damonte, Dan Darling, Christian Scheck, Anna Hariaha, Andrew Tsymbal, Ahmed ElHofy, Aleksandr Dybchenko, Amedeo Inglese, Joan Moreno, Guido Lanari

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