Every Creator Has a Story. Most Just Don’t Know How Far It Can Go.

The Power of a Pre-Existing Story

CPreds is a Call of Duty creator, but his path into gaming wasn’t what you would expect.

Before he was a full-time creator, Chris was a high school history teacher. And when he transitioned into the world of Call of Duty, he didn't leave that mindset behind. It shaped the way he played and the way he spoke to his audience.

For CPreds, a match is a lesson. He isn't just playing a game: he is leading a classroom.

The Power of a Pre-Existing Story

CPreds is a Call of Duty creator, but his path into gaming wasn’t what you would expect.

Before he was a full-time creator, Chris was a high school history teacher. And when he transitioned into the world of Call of Duty, he didn't leave that mindset behind. It shaped the way he played and the way he spoke to his audience.

For CPreds, a match is a lesson. He isn't just playing a game: he is leading a classroom.

The Power of a Pre-Existing Story

CPreds is a Call of Duty creator, but his path into gaming wasn’t what you would expect.

Before he was a full-time creator, Chris was a high school history teacher. And when he transitioned into the world of Call of Duty, he didn't leave that mindset behind. It shaped the way he played and the way he spoke to his audience.

For CPreds, a match is a lesson. He isn't just playing a game: he is leading a classroom.

The Power of a Pre-Existing Story

CPreds is a Call of Duty creator, but his path into gaming wasn’t what you would expect.

Before he was a full-time creator, Chris was a high school history teacher. And when he transitioned into the world of Call of Duty, he didn't leave that mindset behind. It shaped the way he played and the way he spoke to his audience.

For CPreds, a match is a lesson. He isn't just playing a game: he is leading a classroom.

An Audience Before a Brand

Before we started working together, CPreds had already built something real.

He had a clear voice and a loyal audience that showed up for more than just gameplay. There was trust there, and a specific way of communicating that his community had come to rely on. He wasn’t a creator searching for an identity. He already had a way of connecting that felt genuine and worked.

But there was a disconnect.

His brand lived almost entirely inside his live streams and videos. Outside of those moments, the brand lost its voice. Thumbnails, graphics, and extensions felt functional, not expressive. There was no shared visual language to hold the "Professor" persona when the mic was off. Each new expression stood alone, relying on his presence to do all the work, leaving a massive amount of potential on the table.

An Audience Before a Brand

Before we started working together, CPreds had already built something real.

He had a clear voice and a loyal audience that showed up for more than just gameplay. There was trust there, and a specific way of communicating that his community had come to rely on. He wasn’t a creator searching for an identity. He already had a way of connecting that felt genuine and worked.

But there was a disconnect.

His brand lived almost entirely inside his live streams and videos. Outside of those moments, the brand lost its voice. Thumbnails, graphics, and extensions felt functional, not expressive. There was no shared visual language to hold the "Professor" persona when the mic was off. Each new expression stood alone, relying on his presence to do all the work, leaving a massive amount of potential on the table.

An Audience Before a Brand

Before we started working together, CPreds had already built something real.

He had a clear voice and a loyal audience that showed up for more than just gameplay. There was trust there, and a specific way of communicating that his community had come to rely on. He wasn’t a creator searching for an identity. He already had a way of connecting that felt genuine and worked.

But there was a disconnect.

His brand lived almost entirely inside his live streams and videos. Outside of those moments, the brand lost its voice. Thumbnails, graphics, and extensions felt functional, not expressive. There was no shared visual language to hold the "Professor" persona when the mic was off. Each new expression stood alone, relying on his presence to do all the work, leaving a massive amount of potential on the table.

An Audience Before a Brand

Before we started working together, CPreds had already built something real.

He had a clear voice and a loyal audience that showed up for more than just gameplay. There was trust there, and a specific way of communicating that his community had come to rely on. He wasn’t a creator searching for an identity. He already had a way of connecting that felt genuine and worked.

But there was a disconnect.

His brand lived almost entirely inside his live streams and videos. Outside of those moments, the brand lost its voice. Thumbnails, graphics, and extensions felt functional, not expressive. There was no shared visual language to hold the "Professor" persona when the mic was off. Each new expression stood alone, relying on his presence to do all the work, leaving a massive amount of potential on the table.

When It Clicked

The work didn’t begin with a redesign. It began with listening.

What became clear was that the teaching element wasn’t a performance. It was the core of who CPreds is. The challenge wasn’t to invent a new story, but to translate the one already being told into a form that could evolve and expand.

At first, there was hesitation. Leaning fully into the “teacher” archetype risked feeling too literal, too themed, or even limiting. But avoiding it would have meant sanding down the very thing that made him distinct.

We spent hours deconstructing the "Teacher" archetype. We looked at vintage textbooks, chalkboard dust, and architectural blueprints. We realized that to make this work, we couldn't just "skin" his channel with school supplies.

Once that became clear, we focused on giving the story a visual form: Chalk and texture: We introduced classroom-inspired strokes and imperfect surfaces to add depth and a sense of learning in progress. Diagrams and structure: Grids, arrows, and technical drawings helped turn gameplay into something that could be read, analyzed, and understood. Symbols with meaning: Recurring icons, including the apple grenade, were developed to merge classroom language with the game and give the identity recognizable signals to return to. The character, refined: We revisited CPreds’ existing animated character, aligning it with the broader system so it felt coherent and could move naturally across platforms. Color, reworked: A refined palette was built from his original colors, adjusting it to feel more intentional, legible, and aligned with the intensity of the game.

When It Clicked

The work didn’t begin with a redesign. It began with listening.

What became clear was that the teaching element wasn’t a performance. It was the core of who CPreds is. The challenge wasn’t to invent a new story, but to translate the one already being told into a form that could evolve and expand.

At first, there was hesitation. Leaning fully into the “teacher” archetype risked feeling too literal, too themed, or even limiting. But avoiding it would have meant sanding down the very thing that made him distinct.

We spent hours deconstructing the "Teacher" archetype. We looked at vintage textbooks, chalkboard dust, and architectural blueprints. We realized that to make this work, we couldn't just "skin" his channel with school supplies.

Once that became clear, we focused on giving the story a visual form: Chalk and texture: We introduced classroom-inspired strokes and imperfect surfaces to add depth and a sense of learning in progress. Diagrams and structure: Grids, arrows, and technical drawings helped turn gameplay into something that could be read, analyzed, and understood. Symbols with meaning: Recurring icons, including the apple grenade, were developed to merge classroom language with the game and give the identity recognizable signals to return to. The character, refined: We revisited CPreds’ existing animated character, aligning it with the broader system so it felt coherent and could move naturally across platforms. Color, reworked: A refined palette was built from his original colors, adjusting it to feel more intentional, legible, and aligned with the intensity of the game.

When It Clicked

The work didn’t begin with a redesign. It began with listening.

What became clear was that the teaching element wasn’t a performance. It was the core of who CPreds is. The challenge wasn’t to invent a new story, but to translate the one already being told into a form that could evolve and expand.

At first, there was hesitation. Leaning fully into the “teacher” archetype risked feeling too literal, too themed, or even limiting. But avoiding it would have meant sanding down the very thing that made him distinct.

We spent hours deconstructing the "Teacher" archetype. We looked at vintage textbooks, chalkboard dust, and architectural blueprints. We realized that to make this work, we couldn't just "skin" his channel with school supplies.

Once that became clear, we focused on giving the story a visual form: Chalk and texture: We introduced classroom-inspired strokes and imperfect surfaces to add depth and a sense of learning in progress. Diagrams and structure: Grids, arrows, and technical drawings helped turn gameplay into something that could be read, analyzed, and understood. Symbols with meaning: Recurring icons, including the apple grenade, were developed to merge classroom language with the game and give the identity recognizable signals to return to. The character, refined: We revisited CPreds’ existing animated character, aligning it with the broader system so it felt coherent and could move naturally across platforms. Color, reworked: A refined palette was built from his original colors, adjusting it to feel more intentional, legible, and aligned with the intensity of the game.

When It Clicked

The work didn’t begin with a redesign. It began with listening.

What became clear was that the teaching element wasn’t a performance. It was the core of who CPreds is. The challenge wasn’t to invent a new story, but to translate the one already being told into a form that could evolve and expand.

At first, there was hesitation. Leaning fully into the “teacher” archetype risked feeling too literal, too themed, or even limiting. But avoiding it would have meant sanding down the very thing that made him distinct.

We spent hours deconstructing the "Teacher" archetype. We looked at vintage textbooks, chalkboard dust, and architectural blueprints. We realized that to make this work, we couldn't just "skin" his channel with school supplies.

Once that became clear, we focused on giving the story a visual form: Chalk and texture: We introduced classroom-inspired strokes and imperfect surfaces to add depth and a sense of learning in progress. Diagrams and structure: Grids, arrows, and technical drawings helped turn gameplay into something that could be read, analyzed, and understood. Symbols with meaning: Recurring icons, including the apple grenade, were developed to merge classroom language with the game and give the identity recognizable signals to return to. The character, refined: We revisited CPreds’ existing animated character, aligning it with the broader system so it felt coherent and could move naturally across platforms. Color, reworked: A refined palette was built from his original colors, adjusting it to feel more intentional, legible, and aligned with the intensity of the game.

Our Favorite Element: The "Apple" Grenade

If there is one symbol that captures this entire transformation, it’s the Apple Grenade.

In a traditional classroom, an apple represents respect and knowledge. In Call of Duty, the grenade is the ultimate tool of impact. By merging the two, we created a hero icon that communicates CPreds’ identity in a single glance.

It’s playful and dangerous, and it belongs entirely to him. What was once a familiar reference became a signature. A cliché, turned into a trademark.

Our Favorite Element: The "Apple" Grenade

If there is one symbol that captures this entire transformation, it’s the Apple Grenade.

In a traditional classroom, an apple represents respect and knowledge. In Call of Duty, the grenade is the ultimate tool of impact. By merging the two, we created a hero icon that communicates CPreds’ identity in a single glance.

It’s playful and dangerous, and it belongs entirely to him. What was once a familiar reference became a signature. A cliché, turned into a trademark.

Our Favorite Element: The "Apple" Grenade

If there is one symbol that captures this entire transformation, it’s the Apple Grenade.

In a traditional classroom, an apple represents respect and knowledge. In Call of Duty, the grenade is the ultimate tool of impact. By merging the two, we created a hero icon that communicates CPreds’ identity in a single glance.

It’s playful and dangerous, and it belongs entirely to him. What was once a familiar reference became a signature. A cliché, turned into a trademark.

Our Favorite Element: The "Apple" Grenade

If there is one symbol that captures this entire transformation, it’s the Apple Grenade.

In a traditional classroom, an apple represents respect and knowledge. In Call of Duty, the grenade is the ultimate tool of impact. By merging the two, we created a hero icon that communicates CPreds’ identity in a single glance.

It’s playful and dangerous, and it belongs entirely to him. What was once a familiar reference became a signature. A cliché, turned into a trademark.

What Changed

By giving structure to CPreds’ identity through a cohesive system, the brand no longer depended on him being live. The story could exist beyond the screen, carried consistently across different contexts without losing its meaning.

Our role wasn’t to brand CPreds. It was to build a system that could carry his voice when he wasn’t present.

What emerged wasn’t just a new visual expression, but a universe his community could recognize, return to, and feel part of, because it grew from what they already knew and connected with.

What Changed

By giving structure to CPreds’ identity through a cohesive system, the brand no longer depended on him being live. The story could exist beyond the screen, carried consistently across different contexts without losing its meaning.

Our role wasn’t to brand CPreds. It was to build a system that could carry his voice when he wasn’t present.

What emerged wasn’t just a new visual expression, but a universe his community could recognize, return to, and feel part of, because it grew from what they already knew and connected with.

What Changed

By giving structure to CPreds’ identity through a cohesive system, the brand no longer depended on him being live. The story could exist beyond the screen, carried consistently across different contexts without losing its meaning.

Our role wasn’t to brand CPreds. It was to build a system that could carry his voice when he wasn’t present.

What emerged wasn’t just a new visual expression, but a universe his community could recognize, return to, and feel part of, because it grew from what they already knew and connected with.

What Changed

By giving structure to CPreds’ identity through a cohesive system, the brand no longer depended on him being live. The story could exist beyond the screen, carried consistently across different contexts without losing its meaning.

Our role wasn’t to brand CPreds. It was to build a system that could carry his voice when he wasn’t present.

What emerged wasn’t just a new visual expression, but a universe his community could recognize, return to, and feel part of, because it grew from what they already knew and connected with.

Why It Matters

Many creators already hold what makes them unique.

It shows up naturally in how they speak, what they repeat, and what their audience responds to. It’s simply who they are.

But as platforms become more crowded and content more interchangeable, identity that lives only inside a feed becomes fragile. Creators who don’t externalize their story risk being flattened by format, algorithm, or trend.

The work isn’t always about adding something new. Sometimes it’s about noticing what’s already there, and giving it enough room to grow.

Why It Matters

Many creators already hold what makes them unique.

It shows up naturally in how they speak, what they repeat, and what their audience responds to. It’s simply who they are.

But as platforms become more crowded and content more interchangeable, identity that lives only inside a feed becomes fragile. Creators who don’t externalize their story risk being flattened by format, algorithm, or trend.

The work isn’t always about adding something new. Sometimes it’s about noticing what’s already there, and giving it enough room to grow.

Why It Matters

Many creators already hold what makes them unique.

It shows up naturally in how they speak, what they repeat, and what their audience responds to. It’s simply who they are.

But as platforms become more crowded and content more interchangeable, identity that lives only inside a feed becomes fragile. Creators who don’t externalize their story risk being flattened by format, algorithm, or trend.

The work isn’t always about adding something new. Sometimes it’s about noticing what’s already there, and giving it enough room to grow.

Why It Matters

Many creators already hold what makes them unique.

It shows up naturally in how they speak, what they repeat, and what their audience responds to. It’s simply who they are.

But as platforms become more crowded and content more interchangeable, identity that lives only inside a feed becomes fragile. Creators who don’t externalize their story risk being flattened by format, algorithm, or trend.

The work isn’t always about adding something new. Sometimes it’s about noticing what’s already there, and giving it enough room to grow.