Client: HubSpot
Illustrator: Jude Buffum
Animator: David Guerrera
Illustrator: Jude Buffum
Animator: David Guerrera
Producer: Jamee Sheehy
To introduce their keynote address at the 2015 INBOUND conference, Hubspot co-founders Brian Halligan (CEO) and Dharmesh Shah (CTO) wanted to create a video game world filled with marketing metaphors and viral villains that they would have to fight their way through to unlock their keynote.
I was tasked with designing and illustrating the game, including Boss fights such as the Spambot and Sales Shark.
To introduce their keynote address at the 2015 INBOUND conference, Hubspot co-founders Brian Halligan (CEO) and Dharmesh Shah (CTO) wanted to create a video game world filled with marketing metaphors and viral villains that they would have to fight their way through to unlock their keynote.
I was tasked with designing and illustrating the game, including Boss fights such as the Spambot and Sales Shark.
Right before the two-minute mark is when the animated portion of the video begins.
At around 4:10 is the transition from the video game to the live keynote address.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0976f1386e7b2f50f9f576732c6fa0b5/e529af2204bfd9ec1576f088_rw_1920.jpg?h=fe162aba6872ef31934b875df65eaeb1)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0976f1386e7b2f50f9f576732c6fa0b5/111bf38824393dbfa23ff420_rw_1920.jpg?h=84a2e13fe6ffde35e5c1fcb84d09537c)
To defeat the advertising bully boss, Bullhorn, you must crawl under the soundwaves and grab the noise-canceling headphones.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0976f1386e7b2f50f9f576732c6fa0b5/08601b3680241b5d8528f279_rw_1920.jpg?h=ba537d185553ed1b3778a1ac4a9ad5ef)
To defeat the Spambot boss, you'll need to grab the leafblower and return all of those unwanted emails to sender.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0976f1386e7b2f50f9f576732c6fa0b5/f607e498371489c244fb6368_rw_1920.jpg?h=d9638e0d62bbbac2d1d6995e49ba7f52)
To defeat the final boss, you'll have to literally jump the shark.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0976f1386e7b2f50f9f576732c6fa0b5/3a4113975f6935518ab70a29_rw_1920.jpg?h=e02283a50fdd853e8e99025576b851ba)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0976f1386e7b2f50f9f576732c6fa0b5/f33997f1b829e899d8c4b68a_rw_1920.jpg?h=f799f87a84734b7f1dc80552608797b9)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0976f1386e7b2f50f9f576732c6fa0b5/e5ba02c5972a95f0be12de28_rw_1920.jpg?h=472e61fae6d6d196d628f60530b373f4)
As the plaftorm raised Brian and Dharmesh off-screen in the video game...
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0976f1386e7b2f50f9f576732c6fa0b5/c710b32402c2305f64aa9073_rw_1200.jpg?h=d767f703009e1c570bd650e743ff823f)
...they emerged from the floor for their keynote address at INBOUND 2015.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0976f1386e7b2f50f9f576732c6fa0b5/cf49e0e80b04f309856b1dad_rw_1920.jpg?h=e2c0fa584eaa42c3dade3e772e9727dc)