NRF: The Expensive Truth
This data-rich, policy-focused narrative unpacks the real-world impact of tariffs on American consumers and small businesses. A scrolling experience that blends economic storytelling with emotional resonance.
Project Overview
Elevating Policy Storytelling: How POLITICO Delivers Impactful Branded Experiences at Scale
POLITICO is a go-to source for policy and power, and its FOCUS content is held to the same high bar. These are not breaking news stories, but commissioned narratives that inform, persuade, and build credibility across sectors like defense, healthcare, energy, finance, and tech. HALO works as a long-term creative partner to the FOCUS team, helping translate mission-driven messaging into immersive digital experiences that resonate with influential readers. From concept to code, we shape policy-aligned storytelling into scrollable, emotionally rich formats — leveraging modern UX frameworks, custom development, and animation libraries like GSAP and Lottie to elevate every detail.
America’s Credit Unions: Strong Credit Unions for a Stronger America
A message of resilience, told with warmth, clarity, and composure. Distills advocacy into editorial-style scrollytelling with purposeful layout, illustration, and data to make the story feel personal, relevant, and impactful.
The Challenge
Captivating POLITICO’s Elite Audience with Impactful Storytelling
POLITICO’s audience includes some of the most discerning and influential decision-makers in media, government, and policy. For brand partners, simply showing up isn’t enough. Content must inform without oversimplifying, persuade without posturing, and meet the same editorial and visual standards as the journalism it sits beside. At the same time, partners expect proof of impact. Each engagement demands clear outcomes: awareness, trust, and action delivered through high-quality storytelling and captivating design that sparks perception shifts, fuels policy conversations, and drives real engagement.
ACLI: A Picture of Strength
An emotionally resonant journey that repositions life insurance as a symbol of strength and protection, using metaphor, motion, and media to turn a dry subject into a deeply human story.
The Process
Reimagining Brand Content from the Ground Up
HALO works as an embedded creative and technical partner, helping POLITICO reimagine brand partner content from the ground up. Each experience is thoughtfully crafted to balance partner messaging, editorial tone, and user experience, turning content into a strategic tool for influence.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
Aligning on Vision, Objectives & Outcomes
HALO joins at the point of inception—right after a new campaign is sold, we step in to shape the idea into something real. We align on format, objectives, and tone, helping POLITICO and the sponsor get crystal clear on what success looks like. Whether it’s driving awareness, clicks, or brand lift, we map campaign goals to content types and start storyboarding from day one.
Setting the Story’s Visual Tone
Once the direction is clear, we move fast into art direction. Moodboards, themes, and visual systems are tailored to the sponsor’s message while honoring POLITICO’s editorial standards. Everything is curated to support the story at hand—whether it calls for bold graphics, cinematic photography, or data-led design. The result: aesthetic integrity with strategic intent.
From Lo-Fi Concepts to Interactive Prototypes
With story and style in sync, we sketch, wireframe, and prototype. We build interactive flows in Figma, rapidly evolving them with feedback from both POLITICO and sponsor stakeholders. Each design phase is tightly QA’d for consistency, hierarchy, and polish, making sure nothing is just “on-brand,” but unmistakably effective.
Bespoke Development, Every Time
Every build is unique. We handcraft each experience using modern frameworks. Layouts are responsive, animations are purposeful, and everything is built with ADA & WCAG compliance, SEO performance, and Pressboard Analytics baked in. We stay in tight comms with POLITICO’s teams throughout, shipping work that’s fast, secure, and sponsor-approved.
Built for Confidence, Delivered with Care
We don’t just launch and leave. Each experience passes through hardened QA, with device testing, browser sweeps, and detailed sign-off protocols. Analytics, tracking, and performance checks are in place pre-launch, and if there’s post-launch tuning to do, we’re already on it.
The Solution
Transforming Advertorials into Immersive, Impactful Digital Experiences
Together with POLITICO, we’ve helped reimagine what advertorial content can be, transforming static placements into immersive, high-performing digital experiences that educate, persuade, and deliver lasting value for brand partners.
Every piece is designed with intentionality the right format for the story, the right visuals for the message, and the right structure to guide the reader from impression to impact. From interactive scrollytelling for the National Retail Federation to fully branded advocacy hubs for EY, each build is tuned for clarity, emotion, and scale.
American Chemistry Council: America’s Economy Runs on Chemistry
A data-rich, visual journey into the chemistry industry’s impact on American priorities. Balancing clarity and sophistication, it helps connect the dots between abstract science and real-world outcomes.
The Results
A Decade of Impact
9+ years of ongoing partnership with POLITICO
30+ branded content experiences launched across defense, cybersecurity, healthcare, energy, finance, and advocacy
Multiple award-winning experiences
EY: How Financial Services Leaders Can Find Confidence in
the Uncertainty
An election-year deep dive helping financial leaders navigate uncertainty. Structured like a briefing and styled like a feature, it presents complex economic topics with visual clarity and interactive storytelling.
