Chewits, one of the UK’s most iconic confectionery brands, wanted to reimagine how it engaged fans online. With its cheeky dinosaur mascot Chewie and playful tone, the brand was ready for a digital transformation that would connect with young social media audiences.
Working with Tayburn, Ping Creates developed the Chewits Crazy Cool Carnival – an interactive, personalised animation experience that let fans star in their very own Chewits adventure.
The Challenge
Chewits wanted to do more than just entertain – they wanted to involve their fans. The brief was to design a digital experience that felt personal and social, tapping into the power of Facebook to reach and delight users across platforms.
We needed to build an interactive animation that:
- Pulled real user content directly from Facebook profiles
- Delivered a personalised video for each participant
- Worked seamlessly across multiple browsers and devices
- Captured the brand’s mischievous, family-friendly humour
This would be one of the first UK brand experiences to use Facebook Connect to deliver a dynamic, data-driven story experience.
Our Approach
We set about building an innovative Facebook Connect experience that brought users and their friends into the colourful world of the Chewits Crazy Cool Carnival.
Our process began with a gag-filled script and detailed storyboarding; then flowcharts and prototype testing before a single frame of animation was produced. From acquiring user data permission to accommodating various device constraints, every aspect had to work flawlessly.
We developed a two-minute animated short where users uploaded their Facebook photos to appear as carnival-goers being chased by Chewie through various fairground attractions. Their friends appeared alongside them, and the backgrounds included personalised signs, posters and references pulled directly from their profiles.
The result was a one-of-a-kind fairground adventure infused with all the energy and humour of the Chewits brand.
The Solution
The final interactive experience delivered a fun, fast and unforgettable way to connect with fans.
- Facebook Integration: Real-time personalisation using user data and images.
- Unique Animation: Every user enjoyed a custom story starring themselves and their friends.
- Cross-Platform Design: Optimised to perform consistently across browsers and devices.
- Brand Alignment: Chewie the dinosaur and the world of Chewits came to life in a way that perfectly matched the brand’s tone.
The project also stood out for its technical innovation – one of the earliest UK uses of Facebook Connect for animated brand storytelling.
Impact
The Chewits Crazy Cool Carnival generated excitement across social media with thousands of users logging in, creating their personalised films and sharing them online. Reviewers called it “funny, clever, and brilliantly made,” highlighting how the animation turned ordinary users into the stars of their own Chewits adventure.
For Chewits, it was a breakthrough in digital engagement, showing how social interactivity could transform brand storytelling.
For Ping Creates, it was an opportunity to combine classic animation techniques and new technology to make something fresh and exciting – inspired by dreams that bring imagination to life.
Dreaming of an interactive brand animation that actively involves your audience?
