Brighton Zoo Appoints George Sawyer as Creative Director
Brighton Zoo, the bold and agile sister to award-winning animation studio Blue Zoo, has appointed George Sawyer as Creative Director, a strategic hire that signals the studio's accelerating ambition in digital-first content, multiplatform storytelling, and a widened reach beyond kids to young adult audiences.
The Brighton-based studio, which operates as a regional animation hub within the Blue Zoo group, has built its reputation at the convergence of creativity and technology in today's dynamic content market. George's appointment strengthens that positioning, bringing a rare combination of narrative craft, creative leadership, and cross-format experience spanning animation, live action, digital and branded content.
George Sawyer is a multi-award-winning writer, director and creative lead. His credits include the International Emmy-winning Horrible Histories and the BAFTA Scotland-winning The Brilliant World of Tom Gates. Known for combining strong narrative instincts with hands-on creative direction, he has developed innovative projects for broadcasters, studios and major global brands, working across scripted comedy, children's television, and digital content.
Juliet Tzabar, Managing Director of Brighton Zoo, said: "We're really excited to be bringing George formally into the fold, following our recent collaboration on the Fugglers YouTube content. His appointment allows us to move with greater creative ambition on all fronts. George will lead on our digital-first social video and interactive productions, spearhead our cross-platform development slate, and push into content for older audiences. This is Brighton Zoo growing into its next chapter."
George Sawyer added: "I love telling stories, and I'm always looking for new and interesting ways to do that. What stood out to me about Brighton Zoo is its innovative, collaborative approach and a true instinct to develop ideas that work across multiple platforms. I want to deliver stories from a diverse range of voices that extend beyond traditional TV. I'm really excited to get started with Juliet and the team."
Since its inception in 2023 as a joint venture between Blue Zoo and Plug-in Media, Brighton Zoo has established itself as a regional powerhouse - delivering two series of Supertato for CBeebies, interactive games for BBC Bitesize and the Tate Gallery, and branded entertainment for companies including Tonies, Radio Flyer and Fugglers. Their episodic and shorts content for toy brand Fugglers has generated over 20 million views on YouTube and TikTok, with an average TikTok engagement rate of 11.68%, demonstrating the studio's ability to build genuine audience connection beyond traditional broadcast. Through its innovative slate, the studio creates bold, platform-native stories that connect with young audiences through the channels they love - reflecting how they play, what they watch, and where they interact.
With George Sawyer now leading creative, Brighton Zoo is well placed to push further - developing new IP, targeting broader audiences, embracing new production pipelines, and continuing to redefine what a nimble, digitally-native studio can achieve.
