River Action ‘This is Shit’
Stop Motion PSA
Director: Drew Roper & Jim Parkyn
Produced by: Yamination Studios
Content Type: Stop motion PSA, awareness campaign
Objective:
Raise public awareness about river pollution in the UK
Use humour and handcrafted animation to engage a broad audience
Deliver a campaign that’s bold, shareable, and socially impactful
Support River Action’s mission to pressure government action on water quality
What We Did:
We partnered with River Action to produce a bold and provocative stop motion campaign titled ‘This is Shit’, and its PG-friendly counterpart, ‘This is Poo’, designed to raise awareness about the UK’s growing river pollution crisis. Using handcrafted plasticine animation, the promos deliver a humorous yet hard-hitting message about the state of Britain’s waterways, following a family as they unknowingly swim through a river filled with sewage.
The campaign featured voiceovers from a cast of high-profile environmental advocates and celebrities, including Feargal Sharkey, Jeremy Wade, Marina Gibson, Amy Slack, Tiggy Pettifer, and Stephen Fry. We created three character-led versions of the film, each highlighting a different contributor to the pollution problem, as well as a compilation cut. The final deliverables were optimised for theatrical screenings, websites, and social media platforms, designed to be shareable, funny, and impossible to ignore.
Plasticine, Protest, and a Whole Lot of Poo
Production Approach:
Created plasticine stop motion animation with a satirical tone
Developed three character-led versions and one compilation cut
Recorded two VO versions: one explicit (“Sh*t”) and one PG-friendly (“Poo”)
Featured celebrity voiceovers to amplify reach and credibility
Designed for theatrical, web, and social media distribution
Deliverables:
Three unique character-led stop motion films
One compilation version combining all characters
Two VO versions: “Sh*t” and “Poo”
Assets formatted for theatrical broadcast, website, and social media
Outcome:
Delivered a standout campaign that sparked conversation and media attention
Helped River Action amplify their message through humour and craft
Engaged audiences across age groups and platforms with accessible storytelling
