ABC Mackaroy Uncovered

The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) is Australia’s national television and radio broadcaster with subsidiaries including ABC Me and ABC Radio. In 2020, when producing Australia’s first kid’s fiction podcast series, Mackaroy Uncovered, the ABC called on us to create a suite of illustrations to pique the interest of 8-12 year olds who love a bit of mystery and sci-fi action.

We created a collection of images that would capture the mystery and intrigue of the story of the two teen conspiracy theory investigators and had to think outside the box so as not to give away any spoilers. As these illustrations were destined for social media use we ensured they did not present characters who look different to what the listeners would create in their imaginations. Instead we focussed on silhouettes and what might be found in an investigator’s toolkit. The colour palette adhered to strict organisation guidelines yet worked harmoniously to achieve an eeriness that reflected the mood of the podcast stories.

The Twenty Second TV Ad

The initial social media release indicated that Mackaroy Uncovered was going to be a hit and the producers quickly employed our animation services to roll out a twenty second TV ad. From initial storyboarding through to the final edit we took their raw idea and ran with it, collaborating with the ABC’s sound team to produce an exciting piece that was enjoyed mightily.