The Nekton Oxford Deep Ocean Exploration Institute in the UK has teamed up with French prodco Technicolor to create branded content and consult on animated underwater series The Deep.

As part of the new partnership, Nekton will become an official educational partner and consultant on the series, and it will also produce co-branded STEM materials and videos bringing the characters from The Deep together with real-life content from Nekton’s own missions for social platforms and schools.

The partners are also planning to develop a consumer promotion program for the series to coincide with Nekton’s phase-two mission, exploring the Indian Ocean. Videos from its first exploration of the North West Atlantic Ocean in 2016 have been seen by an audience of 800 million across live broadcasts, daily videos and print/photographic content. Nekton works in collaboration with the University of Oxford and is funded by income from foundations, corporations, science/education institutions and private donors.

The Deep is co-produced by Australia’s A Stark Productions and DHX Media in Canada. Technicolor is an underlying rights holder and oversees the brand’s many licensing extensions.

Recently, Technicolor inked a deal to create an immersive 4D theatrical experience inspired by the adventure series with SimEX-Iwerks Entertainment.