Imaginary Forces Nods to Classic Title Sequences for Sunny Discover LA Spots

Renowned for their eye-catching title sequences, Imaginary Forces was tapped by Discover LA to create a series of short films promoting tourism within the city of Los Angeles. As a nod to the title sequences of early Hollywood crafted by director and graphic designer Saul Bass, bold graphic shapes and animations are interlaid on smooth-moving snippets of every nook and cranny that makes Los Angeles unique. 

Designed to inspire and invigorate tourists and locals alike, the series of films are as cinematic as they are exciting. Playful and vibrant, the campaign carves out emotional moments in a myriad of experiences in various destinations that LA has to offer. The campaign covering social media, billboards, subway advertisements, and other digital assets is a thoughtful combination of live-action footage and illustration to create a charming stop-motion feel with authentic Old Hollywood charm. With a soundtrack of surf-rock electric guitar and driving percussion, the city comes alive through scenes that include art museums, live events, culture, sports, shopping, wellness, culinary experiences, and other live attractions, which is sure to lure in tourists and inspire feelings of nostalgia for LA locals.

Imaginary Forces’ creative director, Alan Williams, led this campaign. He elaborates, “LA is our home base at Imaginary Forces. Naturally, we all love the city and wanted to see it done justice with what we created. We wanted to evoke that Old Hollywood feeling with some modern imagery, and borrowing from Saul Bass’s visual vocabulary helped cue the nostalgic elements we hoped to evoke with this campaign. This choice felt both ergonomic and artistic. Bass’s work is synonymous with the cinematic language made in Hollywood during the golden age of film with title sequences that include Anatomy of a Murder, Psycho, Vertigo, and West Side Story: it speaks to the setting of Los Angeles just as much as our hiking trails, street food, the Hollywood Bowl, and so much more that you can see with this campaign.”

The campaign launched with a hologram and billboard takeover at King’s Cross station in London. Including cable, connected TV, online video, out-of-home billboards, search, social, and podcasts, and now running in major markets throughout the US, Australia/New Zealand, the UK/Ireland, Mexico, and Canada, the campaign is projected to reach over 750 million impressions this month and next.