Wash Studio has crafted a bold new brand identity and destination campaign for Animate, Preston’s long-awaited entertainment, cinema, and leisure complex, ahead of its grand opening this week – led by none other than the city’s own animation legend, Nick Park.
Animate is pitched as a cultural and social hub designed to bring people together and breathe new life into Preston city centre.
To capture that spirit, Wash Studio ran branding workshops, name-testing sessions, and concept development before shaping the vibrant visual identity now set to define the space.
Cllr Martyn Rawlinson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources at Preston City Council said: “We wanted to ‘Animate’ the building and the place, to be an exciting destination in its own right, a vibrant, fun-filled family attraction in the heart of our cultural Harris Quarter. Wash have captured it just right, but have also created a sense of local ownership with the launch campaign by using every day Prestonians as the models and faces of the brand, that people recognise and can relate to.”
The first major brand reveal came in the form of a 300-meter hoarding, wrapping around the development site during construction, creating anticipation and visibility.
This has now been followed by a launch campaign using the people of Preston. Featuring vibrant, playful imagery and graphics the campaign brings the brand to life and builds excitement ahead of its official opening.
Andy Walmsley, creative director at Wash Studio, explains: “Animate is more than just a name—it’s an ethos. As a much-needed catalyst for the city, we wanted the brand to evoke movement and energy – always evolving, never static – reflecting a vibrant environment where community and culture come together.”
Animate is set to transform Preston’s city centre, offering a new primary leisure and cultural experience, reinforcing its role as a hub for entertainment, creativity, and community engagement.
The city’s new cultural hub is due to finally officially open next week, more than a decade since plans first emerged to replace the former Indoor Market with a cinema and restaurants. The ribbon is due to be cut on the £45m complex by, appropriately enough, animator Nick Park CBE, fresh from his double win at Sunday’s BAFTAs, on Thursday, February 20.
