Brady vs. Manning

Question

How would you bring these illustrations to life for this Brady vs. Manning article?

Solution

Invisible Element created a series of seamless looping GIFs that transformed static illustrations into dynamic visuals for ESPN’s digital feature.

Client: ESPN

Creative Director: Titus Smith

Illustration: Titus Smith

Services: Motion Design, Editing, Illustration

Discovery

To accompany an online article comparing the legendary careers of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning ahead of their Super Bowl clash, ESPN wanted to elevate the reading experience with animated visuals.

Design Director Titus Smith led the illustration effort and brought Invisible Element on board to animate the artwork in a way that added motion without distraction.

Process

Working from ESPN’s in-house illustrations, Invisible Element developed a series of looping animations designed to enhance the article’s pacing and tone.

Each loop was built in After Effects and Cinema 4D, with special attention given to subtle movement, smooth transitions, and keeping the energy in sync with the story. The goal was to complement the content—not compete with it.

Solution

The final animations helped bring the article to life, offering readers a visually engaging layer that made the feature feel more immersive. The Brady vs. Manning showdown played out not only in stats and stories—but in motion.