To support HBO Max's coverage of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, I designed and developed a premium animated promotional experience that captured the intensity, anticipation, and prestige of one of sports' most iconic championships. Created as a high-impact marketing asset, the banner elevated a traditional promotional placement through cinematic motion and immersive visual storytelling, reinforcing HBO Max's premium presentation of live sports.
I led the project from concept through launch, overseeing both the creative direction and technical execution. Inspired by the drama surrounding hockey's ultimate prize, I developed a visual concept centered on the legendary Stanley Cup™ emerging from frozen ice, enveloped in drifting fog and illuminated with dramatic lighting. Every creative decision was made to evoke the anticipation of playoff hockey while reflecting the premium quality and excitement associated with the HBO Max brand.
Once the creative direction was established, I hand-coded the entire experience, building every animation using custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Rather than relying on video or external animation libraries, the motion was created entirely through performant CSS animation techniques, combining layered environmental effects, subtle movement, and responsive behaviors to deliver a seamless experience across desktop and mobile devices while maintaining exceptional performance.
The finished promotional experience became a visually striking campaign asset that celebrated the pursuit of the Stanley Cup and heightened excitement around HBO Max's NHL Playoffs coverage. By combining cinematic art direction with code-driven animation, the project demonstrated how thoughtful motion design and front-end craftsmanship can transform a compact promotional experience into an engaging piece of digital storytelling.