our work ‘PADDINGTON THE MUSICAL’ ANNOUNCEMENT

MAKING A BIG SPLASH FOR A SMALL BEAR WITH MOTION KEY ART & DIGITAL ROLLOUT

When Sonia Friedman Productions and Eliza Lumley Productions, in special arrangement with STUDIOCANAL, announced Paddington The Musical, excitement brewed for one of Britain’s most cherished characters to take the West End stage.

With music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, direction by Luke Sheppard, and an acclaimed creative team behind the production, the challenge was clear: to honour Paddington’s timeless charm while positioning the musical as a fresh, standalone theatrical experience.

Brought on via AKA, DMS was tasked with animating the new key art and leading the motion rollout—building a campaign that captured the bear’s mischief, warmth and sense of adventure, across every screen and space.

FROM KEY ART TO FULL-FLEDGED ROLLOUT

Tasked with animating the campaign’s newly revealed key art, we transformed a single static image into a suite of dynamic assets full of warmth, wonder and signature Paddington mischief.

Evergreen motion graphics: Our in-house team developed a suite of animated assets optimised for versatility across screens—from mobile to DOOH—ensuring a cohesive visual language throughout the entire campaign.
High-volume, fast-turnaround delivery: With a condensed production window and significant media footprint, we created 40+ unique AV assets including trailers, teasers, digital banners, and placements across D6s, D12s, DEPs, gateways, runways, Transvision formats and web.
Digital domination: The campaign spanned across the London Underground and key online touchpoints, backed by a wave of tailored social cutdowns and ticketing creative—all designed to drive discovery, delight, and early engagement.

MISCHIEF, MARKETING AND MOTION MAGIC

In addition to the core rollout, we brought a playful twist to the pre-launch campaign with a set of “fake out-of-home” teaser visuals. Featuring Paddington’s iconic accessories—duffle coat, red hat, suitcase, and the “Please look after this bear” tag—these creative placements across London landmarks helped stir curiosity and buzz ahead of the official reveal.

We also supported deeper storytelling through exclusive filmed interviews with the musical’s creative team, including Tom Fletcher, offering audiences a glimpse into the inspiration driving the production.

..

THE IMPACT

With bold visuals, immersive motion work, and a high-volume digital deployment executed entirely in-house, our campaign helped Paddington make a splash well ahead of curtain-up. The result: strong early engagement, a standout city-wide presence, and growing ticket momentum.

..

Got an iconic IP to launch or reinvent?
Let’s bring it to life in motion. Contact [email protected]