When creative agency, Ocean Outdoor asked us to manufacture a promotional 3D installation for an immersive activation for Sky’s Midwich Cuckoos series we were delighted to take on the challenge.
Installed at London’s Westfield White City retail complex, the installation was to advertise the upcoming new series on Sky. The concept was to showcase the children or ‘cuckoos’ climbing out of a billboard and flipping over a milk float with their telepathic abilities; simulating the type of chaos they could cause with their unique mind skills.
The Installation required a number of elements in order to create the full scene. These included a milk float, seven life-size children mannequins adapted to look like their on-screen characters, and a mangled signpost. Each of these we sourced, manufactured or modified in order to fit the overall brief.
A main part of the overall scene was a turned over milk float which we sourced from a dairy company. All existing branding was removed and then rebranded with a much more simplified look. Once on site the milk float needed to be turned on its side, which we did using two forklifts to carefully lower the vehicle onto its side.
Seven life-size children mannequins were used within the display and modified in order to represent each of their characters in the series. This involved a lengthy process of adding individual prosthetics to their faces. We also sourced wigs and clothing to emulate their individual character in the series. Some mannequins were also altered structurally to allow them so be positioned in certain places at the site – including climbing down a ladder or to be bolted to another piece of set.
In order for the installation to look as realistic as possible careful consideration was taken to ensure the set flooring closely matched the existing flooring. This was done using scenic painting techniques in order to create that granite look using a painted medium. This was also the case with the spilt milk, which was splattered across the floor in various placers. Spilt milk can flow a little differently to paint, so it was important for us to ensure it looked as it should once down. Additional props of milk crates and milk cartons were then scattered around the floor adding to the overall scene.
Check out our Set & Dressing page to learn more about the importance of those finishing touches.
Milk float with all branding removed
Tipped milk cart being prepped and painted
Tyre track samples
scenically painted floor to match the flooring on-site
Unbranded milk cartons awaiting branding
Branded milk carton
Scenically painted "spilt milk"
Bent signpost before its had its graphics applied
Depiction of a child's face from silicone
Depiction of a child's face from silicone
Depiction of a child's face from silicone
Letter bin with child mannequin attached ready to create part of the scene
Set-up of child climbing a ladder in our warehouse
Milk float being tipped on-site
Milk float being tipped on-site using two fork lifts
Having an installation in a public space is always going to come up against some challenges. For this particular installation it was decided 24hr security was required in order to keep the intrigued passers-by from getting a little too close.
