Motion designer João Vaz Oliveira has once again joined forces with legendary graphic designer David Carson, bringing the iconic creator’s signature visual language to life in a dynamic new launch film for Swatch. The project, which debuted in November 2026, celebrates a unique collaboration between the Swiss watchmaker and Carson, resulting in a series of instantly collectible pop-art timepieces that capture the vibrant, relentless energy of New York City.
The collaboration marks the second major partnership between Oliveira and Carson. The two first worked together on Carson’s 2022 creative reel, a project that established a strong professional synergy and laid the groundwork for this latest audiovisual
venture. For the Swatch release, titled "Destination NYC," Oliveira was tasked with translating Carson’s famously chaotic and unconventional graphic compositions—characterized by layered typography, distressed textures, and striking layouts—into a fluid, moving medium.
According to Oliveira, one of the primary hurdles of the production was synthesizing nearly 100 distinct watch designs and preliminary sketches into a single, cohesive cinematic experience. The challenge extended far beyond simple animation; it required finding a method to connect disparate artistic elements while preserving the unmistakable aesthetic that has defined Carson’s career for decades.
To achieve this visual harmony, Oliveira turned to 3D software, constructing a specialized Cloner system within Cinema 4D. This setup enabled him to randomly integrate and juxtapose the vast array of watch designs, turning what could have been an editorial bottleneck into an exploratory creative process. Through extensive trial and error, Oliveira sifted through numerous configurations to isolate compelling compositions and determine the most effective visual flow for the film.
The working relationship between the veteran designer and the motion artist proved instrumental to the project’s success. Carson provided Oliveira with a comprehensive look at his entire creative archive leading up to the final watch designs, offering complete artistic freedom along the way. For a motion designer driven by experimentation, this open-ended approach served as an ideal launchpad.
Reflecting on the experience, Oliveira noted that the production relied heavily on a balance between structure and spontaneity. Describing the workflow, he remarked that the project was a blend of randomness and intuition, a philosophy he attributes directly to Carson’s influence. Even within apparent chaos, Carson’s work consistently maintains an underlying sense of balance, a lesson that shaped Oliveira’s approach to the animation.
Beyond technical execution, the collaboration reinforced broader creative principles for the motion designer. Oliveira emphasized the importance of trusting the artistic process, embracing unexpected turns, and shedding any hesitation to break traditional design rules. These tenets mirror the anti-establishment ethos that made Carson a pioneer in graphic design during the grunge era and beyond.
The resulting launch film showcases a dizzying array of textures, colors, and typographies, echoing the sensory overload of New York City itself. Frames from the production feature intricate collages of colorful timepieces, radial patterns of abstract watch straps, and layered black-and-white number compositions that pay homage to Carson’s historic print work.
The project credits list Swatch as the client, with watch designs conceptualized by David Carson and direction and animation handled by João Vaz Oliveira. The release further cements the ongoing creative dialogue between two distinct generations of digital and graphic artists, bridging the gap between static print heritage and modern motion design.
