The ask
City pollution is an ever increasing problem affecting the environment and the health of the people. So, Reading Borough Council, in collaboration with Design Nature, Stantec and the University of Reading, started a campaign to engage schools across Reading and delivering ‘CALM’ – Exploring Reading Air Quality programme.
Since the programme began in 2023, the CALM programme has delivered to thousands pupils across over 14 schools, to raise awareness of the dangers of both indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Our task was to create an animation to highlight core aspects of the CALM programme, create powerful and memorable communication messages that promote the positive impact and approach. It needed to highlight the importance of collectively taking action to improve air quality in Reading, working with children, parents, and the wider community.
Our approach
Working with Design Nature and Feel Good Creative, we created a fun, engaging and informative animation that helps tell the CALM programme story. The animation brought to life the CALM visual style using simple and hand drawn graphics. Fully lip synced and rigged characters were designed in a way that stayed authentic and true to the real voices of the people involved in the programme.
No outsourced voice actors or artists were involved in the project. Instead, we directed voice over sessions with the children, council workers, professors and engineers who bought this project to life. Thus creating a truly unique and genuine animation from the heart of Reading.
The animation was focused on 3 CALM experts who explained what air quality is and how we can be doing our part in Reading to help air pollution.
Much like the voice over’s we wanted to use local Reading talent for the soundtrack and right around the corner from our production office is New Wave Studio. They composed the track and we applied this onto the animation as well as the 3 cutdown versions to be used on social media.
The outcome
The animations have been very popular on Reading Borough Council’s website and YouTube page. It has helped the council use the messaging positively for their communications around the ‘smoke control order’. In addition to this, they have been used in schools to educate students on air quality.
Both Mark and Ian from Design Nature and Feel Good Creative were so thrilled they came into the office to personally thank each and every one of the animation team for their contribution toward this project.
It was a real pleasure working with the team at Nicely Done Productions. Everything they did for us on the CALM programme was done with a high degree of creativity and professionalism and nothing was too much trouble. Collaborating together on this fast-paced animation project was so much fun and I would not hesitate in recommending NDP to others Mark - Company Director, Design Nature
