Leanne Rule and Kitchen create an Easter egg stuffed advert for the return of Love Island

There's not long to go until Love Island returns to our screens for its eighth series on 6 June. And to build up the hype, ITV has enlisted Leanne Rule and Kitchen to create an animation full of sass and self-confidence which captures the essence of the phenomenally popular dating show.

With the campaign idea, Love...We Own It, forming the foundation of the advert; it was then up to Leanne and Kitchen to whip up a perfect mix of charming character designs and clever storytelling that recreated historic Love Island moments. Villa landmarks, slow-mo entrances and even the return of beloved Ellie Belly all get a should out in this Easter-egg stuffed animation.

Artist and director Leanne was chosen to work on the advert thanks to her cheeky trademark style, which lends itself perfectly to the show's tone. Her unique wit fitted in perfectly with the tone of the script, and her precise comedy timing only helped to enhance the story she was working with.

Speaking of her creative approach to the advert, Leanne says: "There was so much room for fun here. The whole team was on the same page creatively, which made it easy to get stuck in. My favourite thing is all the tiny hidden references and jokes. There are so many silly nods and little tongue-in-cheek moments, which made it a fab project to work on.

"I loved designing all the cheeky characters and getting them looking like love islanders, in my style. The team put everything together so beautifully, and the way all the 2D assets merge with my 3D elements looks great."

Meanwhile, the directors at Kitchen used their versatile mix of skills and style to optimise transitions throughout the animation. They were also on hand to elevate the storytelling found in the trailer courtesy of their craftsman-like approach to film craft. It also didn't hurt that there was clearly a fan of the show in their midst.

The agency added: "Turns out all those years of watching Love Island came in handy whilst drawing up the storyboards and trying to think of a few Easter eggs to sneak in there for the Love Island heads. To make it even better, Leanne's design style went down a storm at ITV, which was looking to do something different this year.

"We were able to stay close to Leanne's style while making the 3D, and 2D elements work together. Our team was quick, and our process was smart and has resulted in something enjoyable and memorable that gets people hyped for some Summer viewing."