Ferrari vs Lamborghini: how we built an 8:45 YouTube documentary
Behind a 'how it makes money' documentary: 150 scenes of flat 2D illustration, figures set in code, bass hits instead of music, and an A/B thumbnail set of three.
The brief was short: like a "how does it make money" channel — no face, no subtitles, no continuous music. Move through the two brands' history and prices side by side, and not a single typo in the English on-screen text. We had an 8-minute-44-second voice-over.
Visual language: cream ground, thick outlines
We sampled the reference channel frame by frame. What they share: an off-white ground, flat 2D illustration with thick black outlines, yellow as the main colour, tilted "sticker" headlines and huge black numbers. A new scene every 3–5 seconds, with a slight zoom or pop inside each.
We added one rule on top: Ferrari is red, Lamborghini is yellow. In comparison scenes the viewer knows whose number is whose from the colour alone.
Text-free art, figures in code
Text is the weakest spot of image generators — they write "$12O,0OO" for "$120,000". So we generated every illustration without text and laid every headline and price on top during the edit. The profit scene ("$1.6B ÷ 13,700 = $120,000") became an equation that fills in step by step. Result: 150 scenes, zero typos.
Sound: hits instead of music
Strong sound design instead of a music bed: paper rustles, cash registers, gear shifts, doors. Music only enters at turning points — "ONE BUSINESS INSULT, 1963" — as a few seconds of bass hits. The voice is always on top.
The thumbnail set
We delivered three thumbnails and two alternates with the video:
- Comparison: "WHO'S MORE PROFITABLE?" — two cars with a VS in the middle.
- Question: "SAME 28% MARGIN… WHY?"
- Number: "FERRARI MAKES $120,000 PER CAR"
All three come from the video's own illustrations, text again set in code. The client can run them through YouTube Test & Compare. See the full set on the project page.
A series
This video is part of a series. Because the visual system (colour code, headline style, counter component) is built once, later episodes come faster. For channels considering faceless documentaries, a style comparison: Faceless YouTube channel. Thumbnails: YouTube thumbnails.
Three thumbnails built on three different ideas for one video. Upload them to YouTube’s Test & Compare and let viewers pick the winner.
What’s in it 5
- 3 thumbnails, 3 separate hypotheses (promise · number · curiosity)
- 1280×720, under 2 MB, JPG + PNG
- Legibility check at phone size
- Title suggestion that doesn’t repeat the thumbnail
- Layered source file
Frequently asked
1.How many scenes are in the video?
About 150 scenes in 8 minutes 45 seconds; each stays on screen for 3–5 seconds and carries a single idea.
2.Why isn't the on-screen text inside the illustrations?
Image generators make spelling mistakes. We generated the illustrations text-free and set every headline and figure in code during the edit; prices roll on counters and the risk of typos is zero.
3.Why no continuous music?
At the client's request. Like the reference channel, it's voice-led; music only comes in as a few seconds of bass hits at tension and turning points, and the rest is sound design.
4.How were the thumbnails made?
Three ideas (comparison, number, question) plus two alternates, all from the video's own illustrations with text set in code. All three can be uploaded to YouTube Test & Compare.
