Saturday morning, your parents are sound asleep while you’ve never felt more alive, fully immersed in the vivid world of your childhood favourite animated show. That feeling you remember — of being captivated by characters and the worlds they lived in, connecting to their victories and their struggles — is the same feeling we strive to recreate every day. Because somewhere down the road of adulthood, we stopped caring about stories, we let cynicism take hold, we’ve forgotten our love of characters. Characters light the way forward. Characters rise above, reigniting curiosity, empathy, and the hopes and dreams of humanity in all of us. We create characters and their mythology to help you fall in love with your own story all over again.
As an imagination company helping brands with the courage to change the world, our team is as diverse as the work we create. Proudly over 50% female, our artists come to Polyester from around the world, including Korea, China, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Poland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. We feel it’s important that our team reflect the diversity of the world we want to see, and the audience we want to capture.
Why the name Polyester?
There’s a sense of nostalgia with Polyester. It brings us back to our roots when our love of characters started. The late 70s and early 80s was a golden age of cereal advertising, toys that looked better than reality, and Saturday morning cartoons. You can find out more about the history of the studio here:
New Communication Arts article.
Who directs the work?
Our team of 12 artists works collaboratively with you on the creative choices. It allows everyone on the team a chance to help shape and improve the final results, crafting work that is more engaging than with just a single voice. We work constructively towards a common goal while not being overly precious with any single idea / vision.
Can I join the team?
We have a full team currently, but we’d love to meet and see your work, we'll need to find you a seat. You can reach out to us at
[email protected] — even if we don't have a space now we might have the opportunity in the future.
When can you start / how long will it take?
You’re probably expecting this answer, but it depends on what you’re looking to do and how soon. Usually it takes at least four weeks for most projects but longer projects can take 3-4 months. Get in touch with us with more information and we’ll figure it out.
Where's Bob?
Bob passed in 2019. He was the heart and soul of the studio and not a day goes by we don't miss him. It wouldn't be right to do studio portraits without him. He'll forever be a part of the studio as a mentor, friend, and colleague. For now, we imagine him sitting in a pub, having a good laugh, and sharing a couple of pints with Bowie.
Do you offer internships?
Paid internships are part of our studio culture. During the summer, we work with Sheridan to select two students for the 4-month internship. During the spring and fall we open it up to other schools and if you’re at Hyper Island or find yourself with the ability to live/work in Canada and want to make some fun work, please email us at
[email protected]
Where are you located?
Our primary office is a sunny, dog-friendly, three-story studio, in Kensington Market in Toronto. If you're not sure who to reach out to, give Sarah, our producer, a quick email at
[email protected] and we'll make sure you’re pointed in the right direction. You also stop by the store on weekends, located on the first floor of the studio.
Do you do work for non-profits?
We love to do work for non-profits. Our favourite clients and projects are often for organizations with purpose and great causes we can get behind. From working with fundraisers for equal rights, theatre and film festivals, and environmental issues. If there's a good cause we can elevate, we'd be interested in knowing how we can help.
Why don't you have a house style?
Each client has a unique story to tell. We spend a lot of time on research and development with each project, ensuring the final solution is perfect for that story. You have been focused on what you want to say, so let's collaborate on a visual solution that is perfect for the message.
What if we want to work with a specific outside illustrator for an animation?
That's great! We love to collaborate. We've worked with some great illustrators like Brian Rea, Tiffany La Bella, Serge Seidlitz, Jeff Nishinaka, Jeff Soto, and many more talented artists.
