Designing Wonder.

When New Jersey’s Adventure Aquarium wanted to capture the feeling of stepping into another world, the goal wasn't simply to showcase marine life—it was to recreate the sense of wonder every child feels after a visit.

Partnering with Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C), Format produced a spot that imagines what happens when the aquarium doesn't end at the exit. Instead, it follows a little girl's imagination as it spills into everyday life, transforming familiar spaces into underwater adventures. The film uses a seamless blend of live-action, CGI, visual effects, AI-assisted workflows and Adventure Aquarium's archival footage to blur the line between reality and imagination.

From the beginning, we approached the project as a hybrid production rather than relying on any single technique. Practical photography grounded the performances and environments, while custom CGI, compositing, Adventure Aquarium's extensive media library and AI-assisted workflows were used where each could have the greatest creative impact. Some animals were built and integrated through visual effects, while others came directly from existing footage. AI tools accelerated concept development, asset preparation and creative exploration, allowing the artists to spend more time refining the final imagery instead of rebuilding elements from scratch.