Embark Artbook
Asterisk Zines
Asterisk Zines is an e-commerce business that specialises in merchandise and artbooks, co-founded in 2019 by the sisters who formed Astri Studio. As part of each project a team of 50+ creatives from across the world (Artists, writers, graphic designers, animators, motion designers) were onboarded and co-ordinated.
Developed and executed the Pre-order marketing Campaign for both artbook projects FEAST Food Zine, FEAST Food Zine Volume 2 and EMBARK Travel Zine. In total we've run 6+ Campaigns.
The brand was established and multiple social media campaigns launched, we managed an online storefront with strategic pricing and oversaw manufacturing and fulfilment. Directed the above Pre-order campaign video, co-ordinating a team of animator, motion designer and graphic designer.
Services:
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Branding
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Marketing Campaign
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Social Media Management
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Graphic and Motion design
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Website Design
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Mailing List
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Storefront Set-up
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Pricing Strategy
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Merchandise Production
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Fulfilment
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Campaign Video Director
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Team recruitment
Challenges
In preparation for the release of Studio Psycho’s first pilot episode, the studio faced a critical challenge: securing the necessary funding to complete production.
Key obstacles included:
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Minimal Online Presence: Prior to the campaign, Studio Psycho had an average social media following of just 3,000 per platform, making audience-building and brand awareness a significant hurdle.
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Limited Marketing Materials: Although production started in 2022, there were very few polished assets (clean animation, rendered shots) for promotional efforts.
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Lack of Brand Identity: The studio lacked a professional, recognisable branding system, including cohesive colours, design elements, and visual identity.
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Time Constraints: The entire campaign had to be executed within a six-month period to ensure funding before the pilot’s release.
Creatives - Graphic Samples
The visuals and graphics were developed in collaboration with Motion Designer Rae and Director Neda, ensuring a unique and engaging aesthetic that aligned with Studio Psycho’s artistic vision. We guided the collaboration process, providing Rae with feedback, as well as designed graphics using the available assets. Below are samples of the creative assets used throughout the campaign.
Solution
Astri Studio collaborated closely with Studio Psycho’s Director and Producer to craft a comprehensive marketing strategy that would not only build awareness but also drive engagement and fundraising. Key steps included:
1. Branding & Visual Identity
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Developed a distinct, professional brand identity with a cohesive color palette, copywriting tonal style and assets.
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Created promotional graphics that reflected the studio’s unique artistic style, ensuring consistency across all marketing materials.
2. Strengthening Online Presence & Engagement
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Revamped Studio Psycho’s social media strategy, creating a content calendar tailored to maximise engagement.
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Implemented a community-driven approach to boost organic reach through interactive content, behind-the-scenes insights, and audience engagement initiatives.
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Established and managed a mailing list to drive traffic and grow the fan base across platforms.
3. Merchandise & Crowdfunding Strategy
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Designed and produced high-quality merchandise to serve as an additional revenue stream and promotional tool.
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Developed a strategic pricing model to maximise sales while ensuring accessibility to fans.
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Launched a Kickstarter campaign with compelling storytelling, high-impact visuals, and well-structured reward tiers to incentivise backers.
4. Campaign Execution & Creative Content
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Assembled a talented team, including a graphic designer, motion designer, social media manager and merch artists, to create eye-catching promotional materials.
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Produced a dynamic and engaging trailer that effectively showcased the animation’s unique story, style and appeal.
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Implemented a multi-platform marketing push, leveraging Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube for maximum exposure.
To highlight the amazing contributors who were sucessfully selected to be a part of our project, we sent them tailor made tickets which they could share on their social media to announce their participation.
This was both a great way to enhance their experience working with us, whilst engaging with their existing audience and inviting them to then follow our project as well!
Outcomes
The campaign delivered outstanding results, significantly surpassing initial goals:
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Feast Vol.1: 1,350+ Pre-orders
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Embark: 750+ Pre-orders
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Feast Vol.2: 1,300+ Pre-orders
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Social Media Growth:
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Instagram: 10.4K followers
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TikTok: 11.9K followers
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Twitter: 9.6K followers
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Total Audience Growth: 36K+ across all platforms
Result
The Kickstarter campaign was a success, exceeding its funding goal and significantly expanding Studio Psycho’s audience. Given the initial challenges and the tight six-month timeline, the results demonstrated the effectiveness of a well-executed marketing strategy combined with strong branding and community engagement.
With a newly established brand identity, a thriving online presence, and a dedicated fanbase, Studio Psycho is now well-positioned for future projects and continued growth for future episode releases.
Creatives - Merch Samples
Below are samples of merchandise manufactured in collaboration with the merch artist and our manufacturers we sourced.
Conclusion
This case study highlights the power of strategic marketing, branding, and audience engagement in transforming an independent animation studio’s reach and funding success. Astri Studio’s expertise in digital marketing and production support was instrumental in turning Studio Psycho’s vision into reality.