2D Animation for Sushi Hub:
A Journey Through Creative Storytelling
The timeless magic of 2D animation has captivated audiences for generations. The stop frame animation process creates the illusion of movement through carefully sequenced images, bringing stories to life. In 2023, visual promotion can take many forms, including stop motion, animation, time-lapses, and illustrations. At Meld, we love using innovative storytelling methods to help our clients stand out.
Our latest work, an animated cinema ad for the national food chain Sushi Hub showcases simple yet impactful storytelling. The goal was to create a compelling and memorable ad that reflects the Sushi Hub brand.
Our process had seven stages:
- Gathering information
- Concept & Script
- Voiceover recording
- Storyboard
- Visual style
- Animation
- Music
A young boy and his beloved pet dog are dreaming about sushi while they sleep. When they wake the next morning, the young boy and his dog find a magic mobile phone that transports them into a sushi wonderland. Inside the wonderland they are greeted by a Sushi Hub mascot who treats them to their favourite Sushi Hub delights.
The storyboard evolved into a colourful, fun animation featuring well-designed characters and backgrounds. From early pencil sketches to refined illustrations, we worked closely with Sushi Hub to develop less abstract, more relatable characters—a boy with curly orange hair and a blue-haired dog. The background design blended initial style references with Sushi Hub’s brand guidelines, ensuring consistency throughout the animation.
The animation was meticulously created frame-by-frame, with great attention to detail. Sound design added a final layer of magic, combining a stripped-down version of the Sushi Hub jingle with carefully placed sound effects. Graphic overlays matching the lyrics of the jingle completed the animation, making it both engaging and memorable.