Permanent Collection

Spinning Wheels: Kristian Andrews and Studio AKA Keep Alliance Witan Moving

Posted on Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Evoking the feel of 20th century modernist travel posters, Studio AKA director Kristian Andrews and London illustrator Charlie Davis hit the road for UK investment trust Alliance Witan, thru agency Libertine London.

Kristian Andrews: “Visualizing the invisible was a creative challenge when creating this piece. Specifically, the invisible force that halts the journey of the cyclist in our narrative.

“As directors we are always trying to rationalize and to apply an over-arching logic to the worlds we depict. We explored many explanations as to why the cyclist was halted including wind, mechanical failure, and a hill.

“Visualizing the invisible was a creative challenge when creating this piece. Specifically, the invisible force that halts the journey of the cyclist in our narrative.”

“Finally, we came to the consensus with the agency that the cyclist’s rear wheel could inexplicably levitate, losing traction with the path. This combined with the VO about ‘going nowhere fast’ made that tricky unseen force somewhat tangible.

“One interesting technical challenge had to do with Moho, which is an incredible 2D rigging tool but getting the bike to realistically foreshorten whilst following a 3D path proved to be a complex challenge.

“The solution required using a hybrid of After Effects to create a 3D previs which we then combined with the IK rigging tools of Moho Animation for the final result.”

Images

A close-up of a large snail crawling on a sunlit path, reminiscent of the "Cyclist" commercial by Studio AKA director Kristian Andrews, with a person riding a scooter in the blurred background, surrounded by greenery and blue sky. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

An illustration by Studio AKA shows a woman wearing a helmet and cycling through a sunny, green landscape with hills and trees—reminiscent of the vibrant style seen in Cyclist commercial work by Kristian Andrews. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Illustration inspired by Studio AKA’s Cyclist commercial, showing a close-up of bike wheels and pedals. The rider, in green shoes and red pants, cycles through a sunny, abstract background with grass and flowers—artwork by Kristian Andrews. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A stylized illustration of a snail with a brown shell and green body inching along a path, with a bicycle wheel and white daisies in the background, evokes the playful charm of Studio AKA on a sunny day. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

An illustrated person rides a bicycle along a winding path, surrounded by green trees and flowers, under a sunny blue sky. Inspired by Studio AKA’s Cyclist commercial for Alliance Witan, the scene feels vibrant and full of life. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Credits

Client: Alliance Witan

Agency: Libertine London

Production: Studio AKA
Director: Kristian Andrews
Producer: Nikki Kefford
Illustrator: Charlie Davis
Animator: Marah Curran, Darcy Woodbridge
Lighting/compositor: Will Eager, Kristian Andrews
Editor: Nic Gill
Production coordinator: Sophia Amatiello

Stephen Price

Stephen is the co-founder/CD of Stash Media Inc. and the executive editor of Stash Magazine and the Stash Permanent Collection.
Follow on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram

Category: Advertising, Animation, Character Animation, Featured, Feed, Illustration · Tags: Kristian Andrews, Studio aka