SeaPak and The Otterfords Make a Splash for the Pickiest Eaters

EP+Co is making a splash with SeaPak and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to turn picky eaters into seafood lovers by introducing the Otterfords, a charming family of sea otter puppets, who just like you, have these same eaters in their family. Custom crafted by the company behind the Muppets, these soft puppets reflect all the fun and frustration of family dinner - with an extra helping of adorable in a world increasingly dominated by digital experiences.

This work is the first for EP+Co since winning all six of Rich Products’ consumer brands. The team came out of the gates building belief for the nation’s No. 1 shrimp brand within the frozen specialty seafood category, a family favourite ready for reinvention and renewed cultural relevance. The national campaign, launching on March 2nd, 2025, is set to run across CTV/OLV, digital and social.

“SeaPak shrimp can be the gateway to food exploration, so we’re flipping the script with this campaign because if there’s one thing otters and humans can agree upon, it’s that shrimp is delicious…even to the pickiest eaters,” said Ciera Womack, director of marketing and Seafood at Rich Products. “The creative process has been incredible and rewarding. I’ve worked on countless marketing initiatives, but I never thought my job would involve choosing the perfect fur, eyes, and teeth for otter puppets, and doing so with an iconic art house like Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Watching the Otterfords go from concept sketches to fully realised characters, who are now part of our brand identity, is already inspiring our next steps.”

As EP+Co explored fresh ways to shake up the frozen food aisle, they discovered a key insight: very few brands leverage animal characters in their marketing. Digging deeper, otters - notorious for their shrimp-etites - are universally adored. Proprietary research revealed that only 8% of consumers could recall ever seeing an animal character in frozen food advertising - yet social media showed a tidal wave of love for otters. More proof it was meant to be? A mere 2% of people dislike otters, while the rest of us are fully on board with their playful, shrimp-loving ways.*

“Since day one, we’ve loved collaborating with Rich’s marketing team to break through the expected,” said John Cornette, chief creative officer at EP+Co. “We all know a picky eater - but SeaPak’s shrimp can get anybody to try new things. The Otterford puppets quickly became the perfect way to tell consumers that story. Putting them on-screen, interacting in the same world with real actors, brought a whole other level of fun and intrigue to the work. It all feels so authentic to the brand, relatable, and full of personality. Developing these new characters with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop was such an honour.”

Fabricating The Otterfords was an eight-week collaboration between EP+Co and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Every detail was considered, from the perfect fur textures and colours to their expressive otter eyes to their tiny otter teeth and their movable eyebrows, a Henson signature creation. EP+Co cast three world-class puppeteers, Bradley Freeman Jr., Kathleen Kim and Tracie Mick, who are veterans of Sesame Street and recommended by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Together, they brought the Otterfords to life with warmth, humour, and heart.