Sony Music brief Sixty40

Sony Music Australia collaborated with Sydney-based animation and design studio Sixty40 to create the new kids' musical act ‘Wootonia’, targeting music to children aged two to 12 years of age.

Sony Music engaged Sixty40 to create a fantasy world of ‘Wootonia’ and fictional band of the same name.

The first single and video clip “Bounce”, premiered on Nickelodeon earlier this month. It now sees the launch of the ‘Wootonia’ McDonalds Happy Meal, nationally across Australia, allowing fans to build their own collection of ‘Wootonia’ tracks.

The CD-rom, featuring tunes and music clips, is the first in a series of four which can be collected over four weeks with every happy meal sold.

Sixty40 were given a targeted brief from Sony to create a new, squeaky clean, G rated musical for kids.

“The characters needed to represent the four genres of music – pop, rock, emo and hip hop. There was some openness around the type of characters and story but there were strict parameters that Sixty40 had to adhere to, to meet our business objectives," said Mark Flynn, general manager, promotions, publicity and business enterprises, Sony Music Australia.

Wootonia is made up of four characters, ‘Woots’, who each embody a different style of music – Pop (Vim), Rock (Rok), Emo (Zac) and Hip Hop (Boom).

In reference to the lyrics and title of the first single, “Bounce”, Wootonia the planet is made entirely from rubber trees.

In the same tradition as the animated bands of the 60's and 70's such as ‘The Archies’ and ‘Josie and the Pussycats’, Sixty40 came up with a modern twist that would appeal to juniors.

In addition to character design, Sixty40 created the concept and scripts. The studio's aim was to create a world and brand that would keep growing as the story unfolds.

“We also directed the voice artists, help with band interviews for magazines and basically roll up our sleeves and get up to our elbows in this project, which is just how we like it," says Sixty40’s animation director Matt Taylor.