<ul class="menu">
  <li>
    <a href="#0">
      <span class="char" style="--index: 1">A</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 2">b</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 3">o</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 4">u</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 5">t</span>
    </a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <a href="#0">
      <span class="char" style="--index: 1">P</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 2">r</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 3">o</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 4">j</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 5">e</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 6">c</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 7">t</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 8">s</span>
    </a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <a href="#0">
      <span class="char" style="--index: 1">C</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 2">l</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 3">i</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 4">e</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 5">n</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 6">t</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 7">s</span>
    </a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <a href="#0">
      <span class="char" style="--index: 1">C</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 2">o</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 3">n</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 4">t</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 5">a</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 6">c</span>
      <span class="char" style="--index: 7">t</span>
    </a>
  </li>
</ul>
<footer class="page-footer">
  <small>Made with <span>❤</span> by <a href="http://georgemartsoukos.com/" target="_blank">George Martsoukos</a>
  </small>
</footer>

:root {
  --body-bg-color: #1a1c1d;
  --text-color: #aaaebc;
  --red: #e74c3c;
}

ul {
  list-style: none;
}

a {
  color: inherit;
  text-decoration: none;
}

body {
  margin: 30px 0;
  font: 22px sans-serif;
  background: var(--body-bg-color);
  color: var(--text-color);
}

.menu {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
}

.menu li {
  margin-right: 70px;
}

.menu a {
  position: relative;
  display: flex;
  padding: 10px;
  text-transform: uppercase;
}

.menu .char {
  transition: transform 0.3s ease-in-out;
}

.menu a:hover .char {
  transform: scaleY(-1);
  transition-delay: calc(0.05s * var(--index));
}

/* SASS alternative approach
@for $i from 1 to 8 {
  .menu a:hover .char:nth-child(#{$i}) { 
    transition-delay: $i * 0.05s;
  }
}*/

/* FOOTER
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– */
.page-footer {
  position: absolute;
  bottom: 10px;
  right: 10px;
  font-size: 1rem;
}

.page-footer span {
  color: var(--red);
}