Case Study: Chester Zoo brings Wild Worlds to life with Mighty Giant’s 3D animation

Chester Zoo launches 2 TV ads in 12 weeks with Mighty Giant

Mighty Giant was engaged by Chester Zoo to create a pair of 30-second TV advertisements for its new Wild Worlds summer festival. The challenge was to digitally recreate and animate two of artist Helen Musselwhite's intricate paper sculptures in 3D, maintaining the unique hand-crafted aesthetic while capturing the energetic and chaotic heart of a day at the zoo for two distinct audience targets.

The solution from Mighty Giant involved a highly collaborative process, including a visit to the artist's studio to inform the faithful digital modeling. They used Cinema 4D and After Effects to build the scenes, employing specific techniques like a reduced frame rate and custom lighting to preserve a homegrown, non-slick feel. Mighty Giant successfully delivered the two bespoke animated campaigns, one aimed at a younger family audience and another for a more adult-focused demographic, which were used across TV and supported by photographed artwork for billboards and web content.

Chester Zoo