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There’s something special about Bluey. The light-hearted Australian series seems delightfully simple on the surface, but fans know all too well that it captures the emotional complexities of family life; the laughs, the tears and all the feelings in between.

That’s why we love it and why our kids love it.

So, when we were invited to work with Merlin Entertainments and Studios North to develop the first ever Bluey-themed rooms for CBeebies Land in Alton Towers, we were filled with excitement. And to be honest, we were also a little bit scared. Because we knew we were working with a very special, much-loved character.

Starting with a Vision

The brief landed on our desks in January, and we were tasked with making Bluey and her crew live larger-than-life, in the physical space of the hotel rooms. Following successful collaborations on the Nemesis rollercoaster and Cadbury World, Merlin Entertainments had confidence in our IP expertise and they knew Bluey was in safe hands.

Translating Bluey’s World to Reality

The process kicked off with detailed architectural drawings of two room types: a standard room and a suite. We worked closely with the team at Studios North, who provided us with a theme book outlining the visual intentions for the space. This theme book served as a crucial guide for quoting the scope of work and ensuring the designs were achievable.

“Creating the first-ever Bluey-themed hotel room meant that we were the first team to set the boundaries of scale” says Nikki, the Senior Designer of the Theming team at Fluro. “We had to figure out how the characters would come to life in a real-world setting and interact seamlessly within the confines of a hotel room.”

The first challenge was deciding on Bluey’s height relative to a standard bed. We used creative problem-solving to make sure we provided enough room for the characters to come to life, while maintaining their proportions in the overall aesthetics.

“We wanted to make sure all the assets and elements worked together perfectly” says Nikki, “our goal was to create a fun and inviting space for kids who love the show and for adults who appreciate its charm.”

Collaborating with Brand IP: Creativity within Boundaries

“Working with a brand’s intellectual property is a balancing act of knowing how to be creative within the strict guidelines that we’re given” says Steve, the Theme Team’s Senior Account Manager. “Bluey, was a new IP for us, and so this first project demanded very close attention to the brand guidelines approved by the licensor. Despite these constraints, we found ways to inject fun and interactivity into the room’s design. For example, we suggested dynamic poses for characters to make the space more engaging.”

The Long Dog

A particularly enjoyable element was incorporating “Long Dog,” a hidden character from the show that fans enjoy finding. By hiding the Long Dog in the design of the room, we created a layer of interactivity that delighted the first guests and enhanced their experience. In fact, we hid it so well that some guests haven’t been able to find it! We asked our Senior Designer Nikki who hid the Long Dog herself, if she could share a clue about where it’s hiding…“it’s not a flower, root or stem, can you find the hidden gem?”

We pride ourselves on our ability to take beloved characters and stories and transform them into joyful experiences. For the Fluro Theme Team, there’s no challenge too tough. We have the creative flair, the technical expertise and the IP experience to create a smooth journey from theme book to grand opening.