We stepped into the mindset of the audience: young, impressionable kids who live for competition and silly arguments like Messi vs Ronaldo. Our goal was to tap into that emotional competitiveness and use it as the driving force behind the thumbnail.
We explored different ways to trigger competitive instincts (boys vs girls, fragile egos, and playful rivalries). Inspirations came from film posters, childhood quarrels, and high-energy visuals like Squid Game and Mr Beast thumbnails. We focused on three core emotions: curiosity, wow factor, and competition.
We tested multiple compositions, iterating from sketches to poster-inspired layouts. The final thumbnail simplified the concept with three boys and three girls, striking the perfect balance of clarity. This combination of fresh composition and emotional triggers made it irresistible to click.
