Earlier this year, we partnered with Twycross Zoo to produce a 30-second TV commercial for their Easter campaign. The goal: inspire families to visit, introduce their new brand platform Wild Discovery, and create a broadcast-quality ad that felt calm, cinematic, and full of wonder.
The Creative
The spark came from a single word buried in Twycross’s rebrand: Wonder.
It was one of their five new brand pillars — and once we saw it, we knew that had to be the emotional anchor. We built the film from a child’s perspective, using a sequence of “I wonder…” voiceover lines to open up the zoo’s world through a kid’s eyes.
Each line was a small question — “I wonder what they think of me?” — paired with rich, immersive visuals of chimps, giraffes, lorikeets and yes, the Gruffalo. The aim wasn’t to cram every feature in, but to slow down, focus on moments, and let the emotional tone do the work.
What We Delivered
This was a true end-to-end production, and our support included:
- Creative Development & Scriptwriting
Collaborative scripting, storyboarding, and brand alignment — including IP sign-off with Magic Light Pictures for use of the Gruffalo. - Casting & Models
Coordinated parent + child talent to keep the film feeling natural, grounded, and not overly staged. - Cinematography & Stills
A 2-day shoot across the zoo with a lean crea of a Dop and producer/photographer. - Music Licensing & VO Direction
We sourced music tracks, re-timed cuts, directed the VO recording with a child actor, and worked around multiple last-minute changes — including replacing lines the night before. - Post-Production & Broadcast Compliance
We managed the entire Clearcast process: legal supers, subtitles, music rights, format delivery (MXF/clocked) for Sky AdSmart. Including five (!) last-minute tweaks for duration, audio levels, and formatting — all under serious time pressure.
Behind the Lens
- Director/DoP: Sean Delehay
- Producer/Photographer: Morgan Cartlidge
- Exec Producers: Ed Smit (Here Now Films) & Adam Kay (Twycross Zoo)
Filming took place over two March days, just as spring was waking up. We shot across habitats, attractions, and the new Close Encounters zone, working closely with keepers, IP reps, and in-house comms to make sure every angle ticked the right boxes — visually and legally.
Why It Mattered
This was Twycross Zoo’s first broadcast TVC in years — a flagship moment in their move towards bolder, values-led storytelling. But more than just a nice film, it also worked as a creative testbed for the year ahead.
We’re now working with them across multiple seasonal campaigns, from summer holiday activations to a conservation doc series. And that’s the sweet spot for us — projects where strategy, storytelling, and great humans all collide.
Watch the Film
