Industry: Children’s Education
Client: Wombles
Duration:
(Contractor) 2016 – Present
The Challenge
The Wombles is a beloved 50+ year-old brand, created by Elisabeth Beresford in the late 1960s. These furry underground dwellers became household names through books and the BBC’s 1970s stop-motion series. Long before “sustainability” was a buzzword, they taught children about recycling, environmental care, and “making good use of bad rubbish.”
Today, the challenge is clear: how do you take this cultural treasure—with its rich heritage and important message—and reintroduce it to a modern audience in a way that feels relevant, fresh, and scalable?
As a child in England, I was glued to the screen. The eco-message was strong, but what captivated me was the magic of those characters moving on their own, without strings. The wonder of stop-motion made them feel alive, and that childhood awe has stayed with me.
The Approach
As Creative Director, my role was to respect the Wombles’ heritage while finding ways to amplify their relevance in the modern world. I focused on: Respecting the heritage, building a scalable system and an approachable storytelling framework that would re-ignite the love for the brand.
Modern Resonance: Building brand narratives that spoke to current conversations about sustainability, creativity, and culture.
A sketch of some really engaging content to come, the idea behind the comic is that we can blend traditional crafted art with high-end technology. Just open the camera on your phone and watch the characters come to life.
The Wombles World is growing – the notion is to take the brand to multiple cultures and languages- the wombles canal will connect all different Wombles from around the world, all doing their bit for sustainability and our children’s future.
Taking The Wombles on the road, showing the brand off at the BLE (Brand Licensing Expo) at Excel in London, allowed us to soft launch the revival, The Wombles are an institution, it was important to humanize the brand. The expo was an emotional one for most visitors, a trip down memory lane for most, with a celebration of this nostalgic brand being brought back to life.
‘Remember You’re A Womble’
Results
- Helped re-establish Wombles as a relevant, multi-generational brand.
- Provided a scalable framework for new revenue opportunities in licensing and partnerships.
- Reignited emotional connections for audiences who grew up with the brand while engaging younger fans discovering them for the first time.
- Reinforced Wombles’ rightful place as cultural pioneers in sustainability storytelling.
Creative Philosophy in Action
The Wombles project was a personal full-circle moment. What I once loved purely for the magic of its stop-motion animation has now become a platform for one of the most urgent messages of our time: sustainability and creative stewardship.
By balancing childhood wonder with modern purpose, I helped ensure the Wombles could inspire generations old and new — reminding us all that sometimes, the most enduring lessons come dressed in fur and whimsy.
