Getting asked to deliver outdoor ice sculptures in the middle of August sounds a bit mad. Carving them to sit directly on Blackpool’s exposed seafront promenade, under the summer sun right outside Blackpool Tower, sounds madder still. But when The National Lottery came to us with a PR photoshoot brief, aimed at celebrating the “lucky holiday feeling” and optimism people get at the great British seaside over the summer, we took on the challenge and pulled it off.
The brief: create a large ice sculpture featuring the iconic crossed-fingers logo, alongside a set of custom ice lolly props for the talent to hold. Here is a quick look at how we brought the project together without letting the August heat win.
The Ice Logo
Because the shoot was taking place outdoors in the height of summer, plain clear ice would have lost a lot of detail in the harsh, bright light.
To ensure the logo translated crisply on camera, we carved the crossed-fingers design deep into the block and packed the recessed areas with vibrant National Lottery blue and dense snow fill. The stark white snow created a solid, textured backdrop, allowing the coloured branding to stand out sharply against the towering silhouette of Blackpool Tower behind it.
The Prop Ice Lollies
Alongside the hero piece, we crafted a batch of bespoke branded ice lollies. While they looked the part, they weren’t meant for snacking, they were designed purely as durable handheld props for the talent, which included a real-life EuroMillions winner, to pose with.
We matched the styling to the main sculpture with crisp snow-filled logo outlines and froze wooden lolly sticks straight into the ice cores. They gave the photographer plenty of playful, tactile props to work with alongside the main display to really capture that summery seaside vibe.
Setting Up on the Day
Carving ice for an outdoor August shoot is one thing; getting it on-site intact is another. Success came down to strict timing and temperature-controlled logistics.
We transported the pieces to Blackpool in refrigerated transport, staged them directly onto the promenade. Despite the warm summer air, the ice held its edge perfectly throughout the shoot, catching the light and giving the client the clean, high-impact shots they needed to launch their campaign.
