How D8 turned the Real Housewives into stop-motion dolls for streaming

Since 2010, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has been a reality television series that follows the lives of wealthy women in this exclusive Los Angeles suburb. It features a lot of makeup and glossy outfits, along with a hefty slice of conflict and shouting, and it's been a huge hit around the world.

To promote its latest season, NBC Universal and its reality TV streaming service Hayu turned to D8 Studio, whose work on Richard Osman's latest novel We Solve Murders we covered back in October.

"Tasked with creating both the television commercial and campaign, we faced a unique challenge," recalls D8's creative director Adrian Carroll. "Without access to the iconic cast, we had to find a fresh and creative way to showcase Hayu as the ultimate destination for Housewives fans."

Mini universe

Their solution was to conjure up an intricate miniature universe that captures the essence of the show's drama, luxury, and iconic personalities in the form of dolls based on the characters and a dollhouse for them to live in.

"Nestled under the shimmering lights of the "Hayu-wood" hills, the Hayu House and its intricately crafted miniature versions of the Housewives became the stars of the campaign, serving up all the luxury, humour and drama that fans adore," explains Adrian.

Each doll was styled to reflect the bold personalities and fashion of the cast. Using stop-motion animation, the dolls come alive within the vibrant rooms of the house.

Humour and nostalgia

It all works brilliantly to introduce the show and its atmosphere to the casual viewer. Meanwhile, loyal fans get extra service, as the house is filled with subtle Easter eggs, clever nods to iconic moments from the series that only they will catch.

By blending humour and nostalgia in this way, the spot and accompanying campaign do a great job conveying the brand message: that Hayu is the 'Home of the Housewives', to excite both die-hard fans and curious newcomers alike.

It also serves as yet another example of the power of stop-motion to grab attention in a digital-dominated and often overpolished media landscape. (For more examples, see our writeups of award-winning campaign ad 47 and kids animation Tweedy & Fluff.)

Challenging schedule

With just 30 working days from the shoot to delivery, the team worked efficiently to meet a challenging schedule.

The campaign spans nine international territories, with a diverse range of outputs tailored to each market. D8 has created 49 digital TV assets, 74 social media creatives, and 150 out-of-home executions. Major activations include three tram wraps and a complete subway station takeover, ensuring maximum visibility and engagement in key urban centres.

To resonate across international markets and accommodate OOH restrictions, they captured the essence of the TV commercial without explicitly showing the stop-motion dolls, instead featuring cast imagery to ensure instant fan recognition.

To reinforce Hayu's position as the ultimate destination for fans, the signature 'H' has been incorporated into every touchpoint, serving as a consistent branding asset which houses campaign lines and the RHOBH logo.

This creative approach was adapted for a wide variety of deliverables, from animated billboards to static bus shelter ads, ensuring the message remained cohesive across all the different media platforms.