About This Project

Koala was commissioned to create an animated trailer for The Life Impossible, the bold and imaginative new novel by bestselling author Matt Haig, published by Canongate Books. The story explores parallel worlds, shifting identities, and what it means to live a meaningful life. The trailer needed to reflect that richness with energy, colour and emotional tone.

Taking inspiration directly from the book’s cover design, Koala developed a full visual style built around its distinctive colour palette and graphic motifs. Every frame of the animation was illustrated in-house, with bespoke artwork that captured the surreal and philosophical layers of the story. The animation plays with transitions, dimensional shifts and visual metaphor, echoing the novel’s movement through alternate realities and existential reflection.

The trailer formed the centrepiece of a wider video-on-demand (VOD) campaign, running across streaming platforms and social channels to support the book’s launch. Koala also managed the Clearcast approval process, ensuring the film met all regulatory requirements for broadcast distribution in the UK. With gentle voiceover, atmospheric music and carefully judged pacing, the film captured the novel’s tone while remaining accessible to new audiences.

Delivered in multiple aspect ratios for Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and VOD platforms, the trailer brought The Life Impossible to life across a range of formats and audiences. It stands as a vibrant example of how Koala uses illustration, animation and storytelling to interpret literary work with both respect and originality, inviting viewers into the story long before they turn the first page.