Creative Brief

As part of the Lawn Tennis Association’s campaign to inspire young players across the UK, BMB and Curious launched The Tennisables-a fun, character-led initiative designed to make tennis accessible, exciting, and educational. Little Shadow was invited to help shape the visual and narrative world of these animated tennis ball characters, alongside professional players Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper.

Our Approach

The brief was to build a visual tone that balanced playfulness with real training utility-supporting tennis education while keeping it fun and engaging for kids. We worked closely with the creative team and animation partner Arcade Studio to shape the visual framework and motion structure across the campaign.

While Arcade handled the character animation, Little Shadow supported the project’s overall motion design strategy and helped integrate character-led learning elements into the final content. Our focus was on rhythm, colour continuity, and adapting movement to reflect the unique tone of each Tennisable character.

The final content includes training prompts, social clips, and campaign shorts featuring Emma and Jack as mentors, interacting with the animated characters and guiding young viewers through key tennis techniques.

The Results

The Tennisables campaign launched via the LTA’s youth channels and coaching network, quickly gaining traction as a fresh and friendly entry point for junior players. The characters are now a central part of LTA’s youth engagement strategy, bringing a boost of fun and relatability to tennis education.