The Opportunity

Propel the TRON brand forward with the launch of a new TRON game.

The Solution

Craft a dynamic branding identity and develop launch materials to capture attention and drive engagement.

Role

Lead brand designer on the Brand Marketing team at Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media.

Discovery

Our Disney Brand Marketing team worked hand-in-hand with the Disney Tron games production team, ensuring a deep understanding of the gameplay and vision to align branding and marketing efforts seamlessly.

Product Overview

The game is an action-adventure racing game set in the TRON universe, developed by Sanzaru Games and published by Disney. It features high-speed racing gameplay where players control a character running through dynamic courses, using light cycles and identity discs to navigate obstacles and defeat enemies. The game includes several modes, including DISC (where players run and fight enemies), CYCLE (racing on light cycles), and STREAM (an endless, randomly generated mode). The game is known for its futuristic visuals and music, including contributions from iconic artists like Giorgio Moroder

Visual mood board

key message

The stakes are higher than you know. RUN.

Tone

Raw, code, digital, glitched, futuristic, light speed, underground, mysterious, insider, smart, action, unraveling possibilities

Art

We chose the glitch art treatment because it speaks to a digital disturbance—a gritty undercurrent. It differentiates itself from the clean, smooth design of the original Tron brand, and adds another layer to it. It also serves to suggest a feeling of motion—in this case the wordforms are fragmented, the pixels propelling forward.

Font

As a font, Helvetica known for its preciseness—it’s the Tron Legacy poster font. In general, it’s clean and used to convey authority and dependability. Thus, “breaking” it serves to reinforce our message of disturbance, an underground movement.

Name & Logo

We felt it was important to reference the programmatic, and use insider terms that aren’t too insider. In our top two choices, the names speak into the underground and computer world, but with an authentic duality that could be appreciated by geeks and casual gamers alike.

Concept 1

TRON ZERO DAY

A Zero-day vulnerability can be exploited to adversely affect computer programs, data, or a network. This kind of covert or overt attack is aptly named… once a flaw like this in the system becomes known, a programmer or developer has zero days to fix it.

While “zero” could inference “ground zero”, or be a reference to binary code, this name has a heavier meaning in the new Tron game, as it brings attention to the exciting, deeper metastory meant to ignite the imaginations of invested players.

Concept 2

TRON/R

Referring to certain computer-coding protocols, R can represent recursion (repeating procedures) in code. As a name, this feels ‘insider’ and could pull invested players into speculation about what the code actually refers to as part of the deeper layers of mystery and metastory inside the Tron game.

*Note: “R” is actually the specific name of a programming language developed by Ross Ihaka and Robert Gentleman in 1993.

Concept 3

TRON RUN

CHosen direction

TRON RUN/R

RUN/R combines the simple with the mysterious. In the simple title “run”, we refer to the the functionality of the game. The /r references a mysterious bit of code, the glitch art adds an edgy digital disturbance, and the idea of forward motion. We’re taking advantage of the classic TRON feel, but adding a twist with the distortion element.

At the surface, the simple verb “run” will be a cue to the fast-paced arcade action runner that this game is.

But besides the overt reference to the primary “endless runner” action, this name also points to a basic computer command that is required for execution of any program—again leading the invested player into the clever metastory of this game. This concept makes use of the Glitch Art movement—using bugs in technology, exploiting what otherwise might look like flaws and turning them into something powerful, in this case a secret message or extension of the mysterious codes that will be inside the game. By introducing code right into the logo/logo treatment, right from the very start the logo starts to tell the story.

Referring to certain computer-coding protocols, /R can represent recursion (repeating procedures) in code. As a name, this feels ‘insider’ and could pull invested players into speculation about what the code actually refers to as part of the deeper layers of mystery and metastory inside the Tron game.

Logo Mood board

Brand Tile

Logo Animation

Motion & Sound Considerations

A concept of a logo treatment with motion, the glitch style reflects the edgy art and fast game play of Tron. For a brief moment, using text, background and sound design, the viewer is immersed inside the experience and left wanting more. Music and sound serves to amplify the brand tone. The anticipation, mystery, digital disturbance and grittiness of the immersive Tron world.

Beat Board

Game Start Screen

DLC Banner ad designs

I designed a series of banner ads promoting DLC packs for Tron RUN/r on Steam, Xbox One, and the PlayStation Store, ensuring each platform's visuals were optimized for maximum impact and user engagement.

Team t-shirts

Event design

I attended PAX South to represent the Tron RUN/r team at our booth, where I had the chance to meet fans, introduce the game, and engage with the gaming community. Alongside the lead QA and Marketing Manager, I helped showcase the game to attendees. Additionally, I designed the event assets used at the booth, ensuring the branding and visuals captured the excitement of Tron RUN/r.

Trailer

Results

The Tron RUN/r project was a successful collaboration that brought the futuristic world of TRON to life through compelling gameplay and a polished launch campaign. The event assets designed for PAX South and the engaging booth experience helped create buzz and connect with fans at one of the gaming industry's key events. Through direct interaction with players and a clear presentation of the game’s unique features, the project not only introduced Tron RUN/r to a broad audience but also reinforced Disney's reputation for high-quality, immersive gaming experiences. The event and its supporting materials were instrumental in driving excitement and player interest, contributing to a positive reception for the game's release.

see game on steam

tron run/r