© 2025 MightyGiant
© 2025 MightyGiant
Squashies
Squashies
Ad Campaigns
Avoiding the uncanny valley of 3D character design.
Character Design, with animation and Visual FX for Swizzels and THG Studios
Character Design, with animation and Visual FX for Swizzels and THG Studios
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CLIENT: THG STUDIOS & SWIZZELS
The Challenge
We were approached during the Spring of 2026 to help add some Squashie characters to this TV commercial from THG Studios. If you don't know them, Squashies are a range of sweets from Northern sweet firm Swizzels. The creative called for these transitions between the actors and the characters that we'd base on the real life people.
We were approached during the Spring of 2026 to help add some Squashie characters to this TV commercial from THG Studios. If you don't know them, Squashies are a range of sweets from Northern sweet firm Swizzels. The creative called for these transitions between the actors and the characters that we'd base on the real life people.
Technical Execution
Animation Style
3D Modelling > CGI > VFX > Motion Tracking
Production Timeline
6 weeks
Tools & Software
Maxon C4D, Redshift, After Effects
The Outcome
We built human counterparts to the two leads plus a background cast, all moving and squashing like the product, then integrated these into footage shot on location. A lot of design, R&D, and some clever post production to bed it all together.
One thing we knew we wanted to do from the outset was to light the characters from the real environment rather than faking it. Capturing HDRIs on the shoot day would help us to do this (more on this below).
Texture research
Before we got into the character design we had to consider that they were meant to have a sweet like quality. For this we had to create smooth surfaces with small creases and scattered pores and soft colour transitions with a subsurface pushing through. Where they squashed, we needed to have sharp shallow creases; the stretching enlarging the pores and smoothing the sides.
Part of this process also meant experiments in how it would sit in the real world, hence the video below where Neil had to lurk around in the alleys behind our studio!
We built human counterparts to the two leads plus a background cast, all moving and squashing like the product, then integrated these into footage shot on location. A lot of design, R&D, and some clever post production to bed it all together.
One thing we knew we wanted to do from the outset was to light the characters from the real environment rather than faking it. Capturing HDRIs on the shoot day would help us to do this (more on this below).
Texture research
Before we got into the character design we had to consider that they were meant to have a sweet like quality. For this we had to create smooth surfaces with small creases and scattered pores and soft colour transitions with a subsurface pushing through. Where they squashed, we needed to have sharp shallow creases; the stretching enlarging the pores and smoothing the sides.
Part of this process also meant experiments in how it would sit in the real world, hence the video below where Neil had to lurk around in the alleys behind our studio!
The Craft
The characters had to be based on the actors cast for the advert, without straying too far into the “uncanny valley”. We wanted them to feel like they were one solid piece of “Squashie”, so all edges and corners are rounded and soft, and the clothing smoothly transitions into the body.
Finding the “sweet” spot (pun intended) between the real actors’ features and their Squashified version was the trickiest part of the design. Lots of conversations about whites of eyes, and always taking a step back to make sure we weren’t accidentally creating body horror. We refrained from squashing the characters’ heads and faces for this reason.
There was also a cast of background characters created (who never made the final cut), who were designed in such a way that we could make simple tweaks to the geometry and materials to give us brand new characters. The fact that these characters only existed in the Squashified state, and didn’t have to be matched to an actor, allowed us more freedom to play with the designs.
The characters had to be based on the actors cast for the advert, without straying too far into the “uncanny valley”. We wanted them to feel like they were one solid piece of “Squashie”, so all edges and corners are rounded and soft, and the clothing smoothly transitions into the body.
Finding the “sweet” spot (pun intended) between the real actors’ features and their Squashified version was the trickiest part of the design. Lots of conversations about whites of eyes, and always taking a step back to make sure we weren’t accidentally creating body horror. We refrained from squashing the characters’ heads and faces for this reason.
There was also a cast of background characters created (who never made the final cut), who were designed in such a way that we could make simple tweaks to the geometry and materials to give us brand new characters. The fact that these characters only existed in the Squashified state, and didn’t have to be matched to an actor, allowed us more freedom to play with the designs.
The Shoot & VFX
The camera work and direction was handled by the team at THG Studios. Our job on the day was supervising the VFX and capturing the all important HDRIs. The little pole you can see below is how we do this, it gives us the data for all the light surrounding the shot which we use to make our characters feel. like they were there. On the day the weather flipped between rain and sun all day, so we took multiple HDRIs per setup rather than one grab. The 360 cam sat in the character's exact position facing the camera every time.
Back in the studio we found that due to the multiple captures, we had to pick the HDRI that matched the light at the moment of the take.
The final clip below shows a little of how we then place the characters into the scene, tracking the shot so we have the data to make it feel like it's actually there. There's a few bits of post production and compositing to do beyond this, then the shots are sent off for the edit.
The camera work and direction was handled by the team at THG Studios. Our job on the day was supervising the VFX and capturing the all important HDRIs. The little pole you can see below is how we do this, it gives us the data for all the light surrounding the shot which we use to make our characters feel. like they were there. On the day the weather flipped between rain and sun all day, so we took multiple HDRIs per setup rather than one grab. The 360 cam sat in the character's exact position facing the camera every time.
Back in the studio we found that due to the multiple captures, we had to pick the HDRI that matched the light at the moment of the take.
The final clip below shows a little of how we then place the characters into the scene, tracking the shot so we have the data to make it feel like it's actually there. There's a few bits of post production and compositing to do beyond this, then the shots are sent off for the edit.
Let’s talk.
Tell us about your project—whether it’s from concept, or if you're already at storyboard stage….we'd love to know more.
Let’s talk.
Tell us about your project—whether it’s from concept, or if you're already at storyboard stage….we'd love to know more.
Let’s talk.
Tell us about your project—whether it’s from concept, or if you're already at storyboard stage….we'd love to know more.