Command Line Heroes Season 2

The concept

Season 2’s theme explored deep dives of modern technology topics. To help express that idea visually, we built our seson and episode art around the concept of exploded views…but with a twist. For each episode we dissected a container object to reveal unexpected internal easter eggs you’d learn about within the episode.

For the season art, we collected each of these episode objects and collapsed them into a single command prompt container. To better match the tone of the show we also moved away from the darker hacker aesthetic of season 1. We shifted to a bold, pop-color approach that felt more playful and better aligned with the audio experience.

The launch

For launch, we developed season and episode-specific social ads that drove to an interactive landing page. Every episode was released with animated :15 spots that brought the episode key art to life. To make an impact at tech events, we also created an open-source arcade complete with custom cabinets and an oversized, LED-lit command prompt structure.

The results

By the end of the season we saw a significant increase in subscribers and over 800,000 total downloads. The season also went on to be recognized in multiple industry awards including winning audience honors at the Shorty Awards in the technology category and nominated for best branded podcast at the Webby Awards.

For a deeper dive into the process, check out this interview from Laura Walters, ACD- Animation, and myself on the development and approach for Command Line Heroes season 2.