The core idea for National Geographic x Lilo & Stitch was to synergize the mischievous character Stitch from Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch with the educational platform and audience of National Geographic Animals. Our objectives were to drive excitement in support of the film’s premiere and to promote National Geographic’s titles by engaging Disney fans in a fun, unexpected way. By featuring Stitch humorously “auditioning” as a National Geographic host alongside real animal footage, we aimed to highlight the franchise’s playfulness while subtly showcasing National Geographic’s diverse wildlife content. Ultimately, we sought to foster cross-brand engagement, amplify excitement, and drive audiences to both the film and National Geographic's animal content.
This project began with the overall direction to lean into humor and Stitch’s antics. We pitched the concept of Stitch “trying out” to be a nature show host—a natural, humorous intersection of the IPs.
Close collaboration was essential between Disney Studios and National Geographic’s teams to select high-quality animal footage that aligned with the premade Stitch toolkit and his funny behaviors—whether playing in the mud with hyenas or rolling with dung beetles.
In post-production, the task was to seamlessly integrate a CG Stitch into real-world footage. Matching Stitch’s lighting and scale from the provided toolkit footage to existing National Geographic footage required both technological and artistic precision. We also added in voiceover moments where a director was attempting to guide Stitch through his audition.
Throughout production, we also had to balance screen time between animals and Stitch to maintain the appeal for both brands’ core audiences. To ensure maximum impact, the asset was optimized for vertical video format, and both Disney Studios and National Geographic cross-promoted through coordinated collaboration posts and story reshares. Copy and calls-to-action directed viewers to both the movie’s premiere and National Geographic’s titles.
What makes this initiative unique is its playful fusion of IPs—using advanced VFX for character integration in educational content, and the cross-brand platform strategy to bring together distinct yet complementary audiences.
National Geographic x Lilo & Stitch met our primary objectives by generating positive sentiment and cross-brand excitement. From our 7-day reporting numbers, the post amassed 1.7 million impressions and 29k engagements across 10 placements on Nat Geo Animals, Brand, and NatGeoTV accounts. On Instagram alone, our collab with the Disney Studios account totaled 930k impressions and 24k engagements.
It quickly sparked conversation, with fans from both Disney and National Geographic interacting with the playful combination. Audience sentiment was overwhelmingly positive, with commenters praising creativity and humor, and expressing excitement for the movie premiere.
The campaign is considered a success due to its innovative approach, flawless technical execution, and ability to resonate with fans while amplifying reach for both brands. It not only supported the movie’s launch but also reinforced National Geographic’s appeal to family audiences—achieving our objectives through a fresh, memorable collaboration.
