Gigglebug: The idea of Nordic playfulness

Right from the start, co-founder and CEO Anttu Harlin drew inspiration from the idea of spreading the ‘giggle bug’: cultivating positivity and creating unique animated stories that reflect their philosohy: giggles speak louder than words!

“Our very first production starred a tiny character called Gigglebug who had the biggest gift of all: a contagious laugher that could unlock any situation. This character gave us the belief to start the company. If we could infect people with laughter through a cartoon character, in the way laughter is contagious socially, we would be adding true value to the animation and entertainment world. Today, this thinking is part of our DNA, rooted in the Nordic approach to quality of life,” explains Anttu.

But like many markets, the animation world is changing: “I think the market is increasingly focused on developmental needs and the unique tastes that are typical to each age group and audience segment. But, within the audiovisual sector, animation is a technique that allows stories to travel effectively across borders. Visual comedy has no borders,” Anttu explains.

At the same time, with more devices to consume content on and broader internet coverage, digitalisation has meant that we can all access entertainment much more easily than before. This bodes well for a company like Gigglebug.

Anttu and his team have developed a wealth of experience in knowing what has ‘hit potential’, and have built credibility in the market, most notably through collaborations and partnerships with big names like Disney, Nickelodeon and Netflix for example.

With confirmed productions in the pipeline and strong growth expectations, Anttu couldn’t afford to let the economic slow-down affect their ambitions. To finance this growth, the company secured a loan from Nordea, guaranteed by the EIF through the European Guarantee Fund (EGF).

“We invested in development and sales to make sure we could capitalise on good momentum from last year and avoid a slowdown. Writing, designing, running demos, pilots…there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to keep things going.”

The studio usually runs multiple productions and co-productions in parallel - some already on-air, and others in development, alongside offering custom animation services to others. Next time you need an idea for a family entertainment, remember to check out Gigglebug's portfolio for inpiration!