Lancashire Cricket has unveiled an original animated cartoon series aimed at attracting younger fans to the sport.
Lanky & Friends is a three-part short series featuring the club’s celebrated mascot – Lanky the Giraffe – and his companions Zippy, Willow and Stumps.
Throughout the series the key characters learn about the history of Lancashire Cricket, the Roses rivalry, the rules of T20 cricket, and the stars of the modern game, in a fun and engaging way.
The series – believed to be the first-of-its-kind to be produced by a professional cricket team – features some familiar voices with David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd, a Lancashire legend as a player and coach, before becoming an iconic commentator, and Ben Cajee, a CBeebies presenter since 2015 who also works with BBC Sport, providing the narration.
The series has been launched as Lancashire’s men and women’s teams embark on their respective T20 campaigns, which typically attract younger fans to Emirates Old Trafford. The animated programmes feature relatable characters that the county hopes will capture the imagination of young people and ignite a passion for the sport, whilst teaching the fundamentals of the game.
The launch of Lanky & Friends, which has been produced by strategic marketing communications agency MC2, forms a key pillar of Lancashire Cricket’s Red Rose Together initiative which launched earlier this year to celebrate the club’s 160th anniversary and champion activities undertaken that drive a love of the game and make cricket more accessible, inclusive, and enjoyable for everyone.
Lancashire Cricket CEO, Daniel Gidney, said: “This is a really important project for Lancashire Cricket, one focused firmly on engaging the next generation of players, participants, and fans of the sport. Lanky & Friends provides a fun and engaging introduction to cricket with the aim of fostering lifelong connections between the Club and children of all ages and backgrounds.”
David Lloyd said: “Lanky & Friends is a brilliant way to get kids to care about the game of cricket and create more fans of this fantastic sport. I’m proud my county has commissioned this brilliant animated series and honoured to play a part in its production.”
Image credit: Lancashire Cricket
