Cirkus

What Cirkus does

Cirkus is a privately-held, award-winning animation studio headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, founded in 2006 and employing approximately 112 people. The studio produces multi-technique animated content spanning 2D animation, 3D CGI, stop-motion, live-action VFX integration, miniature effects, motion graphics, pre-visualization, and fluid/particle simulations. Its differentiator is a 'digitally handcrafted' aesthetic that deliberately adds tactile imperfections to CGI to avoid sterile, computer-generated looks — combining miniatures, live-action plates, and CGI within single projects.

The studio's primary customer segment is international advertising agencies (Dentsu, TBWA, Ogilvy, MullenLowe, DDB, BBH) and their brand clients, with named end-clients including Airbnb, Honda, Subaru, Bridgestone, Huggies, Paddle Pop (Unilever), Alpenliebe, Standard Chartered Bank, Castrol, WWF, Villa Maria, and Auckland Council. Geographic reach spans 10+ countries across Oceania, Southeast Asia, East Asia, North America, South Asia, and Europe. The studio is represented in the U.S. by Brawler LA, enabling direct servicing of North American agencies.

Cirkus operates a professional services model, generating revenue from per-project commissions negotiated through agency briefs, with project-based pricing not publicly disclosed. Beyond commissioned commercial work, the studio has built an original IP portfolio including the 'Jack of All Trades' animated series, the 'Nullaboo Hullabaloo' feature film (co-produced with Astro-nomical Entertainment), the 'Gold Paw' film, and the 'Super Late Jack' mobile game, providing potential licensing and royalty upside. Marketing is driven by an annual 'Ringmaster's Cut' showreel, conference presence at ADFEST, and active social media channels. The studio has accumulated multi-tier international awards including a 2015 Cannes Lions Bronze Lion, ADFEST Gold, D&AD Third Place, and Kyoorius Baby Blue Elephant Awards, anchored by its award-winning Airbnb 'Welcome to Airbnb' campaign.

Name

Cirkus

Legal name

Cirkus

Website

https://cirkus.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cirkus is a privately-held Auckland, New Zealand animation studio (founded 2006, ~112 staff) producing multi-technique animated commercials and original IP for international advertising agencies and global brands including Airbnb, Honda, and Standard Chartered across 10+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

3D Character Animation (MPAHACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

2D Character Animation (MPAHACAA), Stop-Motion & Hybrid Animation (MPAHACAM)

Keywords

• Animation production services
• 3D CGI animation
• Stop motion animation
• Mixed media commercial production
• Visual effects integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Branded Animation Production: Cirkus is commissioned by advertising agencies and brands to produce animated commercials, branded content, and visual effects sequences. Revenue is generated per-project through agency contracts and direct commissions. Projects range from short social media spots to full TV commercials with production values spanning 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and mixed-media techniques.
2. Original IP Development: Cirkus develops original film and TV series ideas alongside client work. Notable original IP includes 'Jack of All Trades' animated series and 'Gold Paw' film. The studio also works on character development, pre-visualisation, and post-fx for international productions such as Cowboy Bebop, The Beast, Underworld Werewolf, Spartacus, and Thirty Days Of Night.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cirkus is an Auckland-based animation studio that produces commissioned animated commercials, branded content, and visual effects sequences for global advertising agencies and brands. The studio delivers work across 2D animation, 3D CGI, stop-motion, miniature effects, live-action VFX integration, motion graphics, pre-visualization, and particle simulations. Cirkus also develops original intellectual property, including the Jack of All Trades animated series and the Nullaboo Hullabaloo animated feature film.

Product overview

Cirkus is an award-winning Auckland-based animation studio offering a diverse range of animation services including 2D Animation, 3D Animation, Stop Motion Animation, Live-Action VFX, Miniature Effects, Motion Graphics, Pre-Visualization, and Simulations & Particles. The studio serves international and domestic commercial clients, creating brand advertising, films, and television series. Cirkus also develops original intellectual property including the animated series Jack of All Trades, the feature film Nullaboo Hullabaloo, and the mobile game Super Late Jack. The studio collaborates with major international productions such as Cowboy Bebop, The Beast, Underworld Werewolf, Spartacus, and Thirty Days Of Night.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2D Animation Services Traditional hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation services for commercials and narrative content, crafted with rich painted backgrounds and stylistic techniques. Delivered for advertising agencies and brand clients seeking distinctive animated content.
• 3D Animation Services Full-service 3D computer-generated animation for commercials, films, and series, including modeling, texturing, rigging, animation, lighting, and rendering. Delivered for advertising agencies and brands.
• Stop Motion Animation Services Physical stop-motion animation using miniatures and models, including claymation and hybrid approaches that blend stop-motion aesthetics with CGI. Delivered for commercial and branded content clients.
• Live-Action VFX Services Visual effects integration combining live-action footage with animated elements, including character animation, compositing, and background plate work for commercials and branded content.
• Miniature Effects Services Handcrafted miniature set construction and animation for achieving realistic, tactile visual effects in commercials and films. Used for campaigns such as the award-winning Airbnb 'Welcome to Airbnb' commercial.
• Motion Graphics Services Dynamic motion graphics and animated typography for commercials, presentations, and digital content, delivered for advertising agencies and brand clients.
• Pre-Visualization Services Pre-vis services including animatics and storyboarding to plan and visualize sequences before full production, supporting commercial and narrative content production.
• Simulations and Particles Services Fluid dynamics, particle systems, cloth simulations, and other complex visual effects for realistic environmental animations in commercial and branded content.
• Jack of All Trades (Animated Series) Cirkus's original animated series featuring Jack, a regular guy with an extraordinary imagination who uses creativity to complete his job in humorous ways. Episodes include The Carpenter, The Butcher, The Zookeeper, The Postman, The Fireman, The Vet, and The Spaceman.
• Nullaboo Hullabaloo (Animated Feature Film) Animated feature film adaptation of Fleur Ferris's 2019 young-reader novel, produced in collaboration with Astro-nomical Entertainment (USA/China) and directed by Peter Lepeniotis.
• Super Late Jack (Mobile Game) Fun, free mobile game based on the Jack of All Trades series, available on Android and iOS platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bronze Lion at Cannes Lions 2015 for Film Craft: Production Design/Art Direction for Airbnb 'Welcome to Airbnb'
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Brawler LAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrawler based in Los Angeles serves as Cirkus's dedicated U.S. representative office. Contact executives are Caspar von Winterfeldt (CEO/Founder) and Rob DeBakey (Head of Production). This partnership enables Cirkus to pursue and service North American agency and brand clients directly.
• Sixtoes SingaporemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSixtoes Singapore is a recurring production partner for Cirkus on major campaigns including the award-winning Airbnb 'Welcome to Airbnb' (Bronze Lion, D&AD) and Standard Chartered Bank pinball machine commercial. Serves as production company handling on-ground logistics for Singapore-based projects.
• DDB MelbournemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDDB Melbourne briefed Cirkus on the Monash Children's Hospital 'Imagination is the Best Medicine' fundraising campaign. DDB acts as the creative agency bringing animation production needs to Cirkus.
• Milk + Honey UnitedmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMilk + Honey United (Sydney) is a key agency partner that has briefed Cirkus on multiple campaigns including Rosemary Health 'Fully Sick' and the Bridgestone Gecko revival. The agency redesigned Rosemary's branding from the ground up and produced distinctive stop-motion-style campaigns with Cirkus.
• TBWA SingaporemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTBWA Singapore commissioned Cirkus alongside Sixtoes Singapore for the award-winning Airbnb 'Welcome to Airbnb' campaign. The agency manages regional creative for Airbnb and has returned to Cirkus for subsequent projects including Standard Chartered Bank.
• Astro-nomical Entertainment (USA / China)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAstro-nomical Entertainment is producing the animated feature film 'Nullaboo Hullabaloo' based on Fleur Ferris's novel, with Cirkus producing the teaser trailer. Peter Lepeniotis directs. This represents Cirkus's role as production partner on an international animated feature.
• Freeflow Productions SingaporeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreeflow Productions Singapore partnered with Cirkus on the Health Promotion Board Singapore mental health awareness campaign 'It's Okay to Reach Out', combining Cirkus's 3D animated creatures with Freeflow's live-action production.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Mill: Global creative production studio combining advertising animation, VFX, and design for major brands. Closest direct competitor to Cirkus in scale, offering, and target client base (global ad agencies and brand clients).
• Buck: Design-driven animation and creative studio producing mixed-media commercials, motion graphics, and animated brand content. Direct peer in the boutique commercial animation space.
• Psyop: Multi-disciplinary production company specializing in animation, VFX, and live-action for advertising and entertainment. Direct peer producing agency-commissioned animated commercials at scale.
• Blur Studio: VFX and animation studio producing CGI commercials, game cinematics, and short films. Direct peer in the high-end commercial animation space with comparable multi-technique capabilities.
• Aardman Animations: Stop-motion and mixed-media animation studio famous for advertising and feature films. Direct peer in the tactile, handcrafted animation aesthetic that Cirkus also serves.
• Luma Pictures: Independent VFX and animation studio producing commercials, film, and streaming content. Direct peer in commercial animation with comparable multi-technique offering.

Broad incumbents

• MPC (Moving Picture Company): Global VFX and post-production powerhouse with a strong advertising division. Broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities in commercial animation and VFX, but a wider service portfolio than Cirkus.
• Framestore: Major global VFX and animation studio with significant advertising work. Broader incumbent offering commercial production alongside film and immersive content.

Regional players

• Weta FX: New Zealand-based VFX and animation studio with deep advertising and film work. Regional peer sharing Cirkus's NZ roots and multi-technique expertise but operating at substantially larger scale.
• Animal Logic: Australia-based animation and VFX studio serving film, advertising, and interactive. Regional peer across the Tasman with overlapping advertising client work and feature animation capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CirkusNZ
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CirkusProductions
• Facebookfacebook.com/CirkusNZ
• Instagraminstagram.com/cirkusnz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cirkus