Campaign best practices.
The assets below give our production team everything needed to build efficiently. The more you provide upfront, the fewer revision rounds — and the faster your campaign goes live.
Video
- High-res MP4 files — the more ratios, the better
- Ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 4:5, 1:1
- No video? Ask the social media team for clips or social links
- YouTube links also work — we can pull the video
Pure footage — no logos, text, or buttons overlaid. Offers the greatest creative flexibility; we can place and crop freely across all formats.
Logos, text, or buttons baked into the video. We cannot edit these out — the video must be scaled carefully so nothing is cropped.
Pre-sized by your agency to the required ad formats, exported at double resolution (e.g. 300×600 → delivered at 600×1200 MP4). We upload directly — no production needed.
Each missing ratio means we adapt the layout to fit what's available — more ratios give us more creative options.
Key Visuals
- PSD source files (best option)
- Previous HTML5 campaign files
- High-res JPGs — min. 1920px on the longest side; ask us for per-format specs
JPGs have limited flexibility — our team will need to manually edit them to fit each format. PSDs save significant time.
Logo
- SVG (preferred)
- PNG with transparent background
- AI or EPS source file
- JPG as a last resort
Always include both dark and light logo variants if available.
Copy
- Headline(s) — short, punchy, campaign-ready
- Subline(s) — supporting message or offer
- Approved and finalised text only
- Approx. limits: headline ~40 chars, subline ~80 chars
Unfinished copy is the #1 source of revision rounds. Lock text before briefing.
CTA
- Button label text (e.g. "Learn more", "Shop now")
- Keep it short — max 3–4 words per button
- Include all CTA variants if the campaign uses more than one
If the CTA is campaign-specific, include it in the copy brief.
Landing Page & Tracking
- Final click-through URL(s)
- All tracking parameters appended and ready
- Separate URLs per placement/format if needed
- Confirm URL is live before campaign start
We cannot launch without a working destination URL. Test the link before sending.
Nothing available?
If materials aren't available, give us a concrete starting point — any one of the options below lets our production team align on direction and reduces back-and-forth later.
Point us to a landing page
Share the campaign or brand landing page URL and tell us what to pull — e.g. which images, what color scheme, which sections are relevant. We can source existing visuals, brand colors, and imagery directly from it. Include any usage restrictions.
Share a previous HTML5 campaign
If a prior campaign exists, send the files and any available materials from that flight. We'll use it as a creative reference and production foundation. Include the original brief if possible.
Send copy + brand guidelines
Even without visuals, approved copy, fonts, and brand colors allow us to begin layout and structure. Attach the brand deck or style guide.
Give us creative direction
A mood board, reference ad, or a short written brief describing the campaign tone, look, and feel. Anything that gives production a clear jumping-off point.
After Effects files.
Used for full-bleed awareness campaigns. AE files need to be packaged and handed over correctly — a missing linked asset can break the entire project. Choose your guide below.
Ask the agency to "Collect Files"
Tell them: "Please use File → Dependencies → Collect Files in After Effects and send us the resulting folder." This bundles the AE project with all linked footage, fonts, and assets into one package.
Check the folder before sending
The collected folder should contain: the .aep project file, a (Footage) subfolder with all video/image files, and a (Fonts) folder. If any of these are missing, ask the agency to re-collect.
Compress and share via WeTransfer or Google Drive
Zip the entire collected folder. WeTransfer links expire in 7 days — use Google Drive or Dropbox for large files. Never send loose AE files without the linked footage.
Include a note on the AE version
Tell us which version of After Effects was used (e.g. AE 2024). Older project files may not open correctly in newer versions without a note.
Verify all project links before packaging
Open File → Dependencies → Find Missing Footage. Resolve every broken link before collecting. A single missing asset will break the project on our end.
Use "Collect Files" — not manual copying
Go to File → Dependencies → Collect Files. Set destination to a new folder. Tick "Reduce Project" to remove unused comps. This is the only reliable way to ensure all dependencies travel with the project.
Flatten or pre-render heavy compositions
For comps using third-party plugins (e.g. Element 3D, Optical Flares), pre-render those layers and include the rendered footage alongside the source. We may not have the same plugins installed.
Export a test render before sending
Render a .mp4 preview at full quality. Include it in the package — it gives us a reference for how the final animation should look and helps catch any compositing issues before handover.
Name conventions and folder structure
Use: [Client]_[Campaign]_[Format]_[Ratio]_v01.aep — e.g. Honda_Spring26_FullBleed_16x9_v01.aep. Keep footage named descriptively. Avoid special characters, spaces, or generic names like final_FINAL2.aep.
Sharing large files — use Drive or Dropbox
For AE packages (typically 1GB+), use Google Drive or Dropbox — WeTransfer links expire in 7 days and large uploads can fail mid-transfer. Set folder permissions to "Anyone with the link can view" and test before sending. WeTransfer is fine for smaller assets like JPGs or logos.
specs & SLAs →