One frosty morning, Warner Bros. knocked on the door with a hot chocolate and a question.

Could you turn this ice rink into a marvellous magical moment that makes people feel like they're skating through a chocolate dream?

Uhhh well yes. Obviously.

They’d booked the ice rink beneath the colossal Christmas tree at Westfield London, the kind of place where the snow is fake, the footfall is brutal, and the hot chocolate costs more than your hopes.

Our job was to make it feel like the spirit of Wonka had slipped out of the screen, laced up a pair of skates, and left behind a trail of fudge.

The Brief

To support the theatrical release of Wonka, Warner Bros. wanted a high-visibility moment that didn’t just advertise the film, but embodied it. The campaign needed to capture the festive imagination of families, tap into the film’s whimsical tone, and bring a bit of chocolate-coated wonder to everyday shoppers.

Our canvas was the outdoor ice rink at Westfield London. Right beneath a giant Christmas tree, surrounded by shops, lights, and thousands of holiday visitors every day.

My job was to write copy that twirled, teased, and tiptoed along the edge of surreal. That felt like something a seven-year-old might whisper on a sugar high. That made kids laugh, or sigh, or say “Wait, what?”

The goal wasn’t strictly to advertise Wonka. It was to become part of the Christmas ecosystem.

Right there next to Zara, the German bratwurst hut, and the slightly-too-big elf with a selfie stick.

No plot spoilers.

No chocolate factory.

Just a sweet little teaser for a world where imagination still gets a look-in.

The Setting

Quiet up, listen down. Picture it, please.

Children skating like baby deer.

Parents trying not to break a hip.

Grandparents saying, “I prefered Gene Wilder.”

Right there, wrapped around the rink, was our canvas.

The copy had to do four things:

• Be big enough to read mid-wobble

• Be clever enough to feel in on the joke

• Be sweet enough to Instagram

• And be strange enough to feel just a bit Wonka

The Tone

We weren’t writing ads. We were writing rhymes that forgot to rhyme.
Roald Dahlian ice-rink riddles. Sugar-laced spells. Sentences that winked at you as you fell over.

Inspired by the film’s charm and Dahl’s weirdness, I wrote lines that felt a bit like a 6-year-old poet laureate had been given a thesaurus and a lot of marshmallows.

Sample Copy

• Trip three times and win a chocolate button.

• Free laughs with every slip.

• The ice tastes bad, trust us.

• Twirl three times and wish for toffee.

• Every time you fall, an Oompa-Loompa laughs.

• Please don’t feed the penguins.

• Please don’t swap skates with the squirrels.

• Hold their hand and pretend you’re helping.

• Santa’s watching. And he thinks you’re nailing it.

• This ice has seen things. Mostly your knees.

• Wobble like you mean it.

• Please don’t swap your skates for candy canes.

• If you see a chocolate button on the ice… don’t eat it yet.

• Every wobble is a secret spell in motion.

• Glide gently, there are no marshmallows beneath

• Falling is allowed, screaming is encouraged, applauding is essential

• Wipeouts earn extra sprinkles.

• Careful, the ice is mostly sugar.

• No speed skating past elves, toddlers, or confused grandparents.

• If you're feeling wobbly, that means you're doing it right.

• Is falling is part of your routine?

• Enter with joy. Exit with stories. And possibly a bruise.

• Do not lick the ice. It’s not that kind of tasting room.

• Bravo! Now go defrost your toes.

• Mind the floor: it’s disappointingly non-icy.

• Tinkle Town → This Way

• Yes, even oompa-lumpas need a wee.

• No twirling your siblings. No juggling your mum. And falling is fine, as long as it’s fun.

• If you start to wobble, just shout ‘oh dear!’. Our marshmallow medics are always near.

• Snacks this way! Eat with delight. But do not feed the skates, however, they bite.

• Cling to this rail only if your dignity’s already gone.

• Slip, slide, giggle, repeat.

• No golden ticket required, just warm socks.

• The sweeter the glide, the stickier the landing

• Wonder begins where the queue ends.

• The snozzberries taste like…please don’t lick the barrier

• Candy is dandy, but skating is quicker.

• The suspense is terrific… will Mum stay upright?

Each one short. Surprising. Slippy.

I worked closely with the design team to make sure every line fit just right, on the curve of a rink, against blinking fairy lights, above tiny mittened hands.

Each piece had to balance joy and legibility. Magic and meaning. And of course, look excellent next to a candy cane.

The Outcome

We didn’t use any fun copy in the end. Boo. Just gorgeous sweetie and Wonka keyart branded banners, and it looked STUNNNINNNGGG. The final result was pure brand wonder, glinting behind a small girl doing her very best not to fall over backwards.

The rink became one of the most Instagrammed spots in Westfield that December.

And Wonka stayed on everyone’s lips, like sugar, or frost, or a bruise.

If you want your next activation to feel like it’s been dipped in wonder and dusted with icing sugar…

I’ll bring the words. You bring the mittens.