Case study · Disney XD
Eye Wonder · Disney XD · Clips shown without sound
Magic made for the YouTube generation
Eye Wonder is Disney XD’s series of mind melting magic, video illusions and viral “what just happened?” moments. We were brought into development to shape it as a YouTube first show: the format, the episode structure, the series and the talent.
“Hold up… what?!” That reaction was the whole brief.
The brief
Disney XD is made for kids who love discovery, adventure and humour. Its audience doesn’t just watch TV. They grew up on YouTube and short form video, where the best magic and illusions rack up millions of views and get watched again and again.
Disney wanted a series that captured that energy: premium enough for broadcast, but as gripping as the videos kids already choose to watch. A show about the moments that make you say “how did they do that?”, and then teach you how.
Why YouTube first
Kids decide in seconds. On YouTube a video lives or dies on its hook, its pace and whether people want to watch it again. Traditional TV formats can take their time. This audience won’t.
So we built Eye Wonder the way the best YouTube magic is built. Open on the impossible. Keep the pace high. Reveal, then let the viewer in on the secret. That turns a trick into something kids rewatch, talk about and try themselves.
What we built
Advertain joined during development as the show’s YouTube and magic specialists.
The format
We shaped the overall format, tone and storytelling: fast, funny, visual and built around a single question. What just happened?
The episode structure
Every episode follows a YouTube rhythm. A cold open hook, a run of illusions that escalates, the big reveal, then a trick viewers can learn themselves.
The series
We structured the series around everyday objects and big ideas, from cards and chopsticks to paint covered mousetraps and a six foot water balloon, so every episode feels like its own event.
The talent
We helped source and work with the on screen talent, bringing the digital magic that kids already watch online into a Disney show alongside names like Shin Lim and The Slo Mo Guys.
The look
We made sure the magic felt modern and cinematic: bold graphics, clever edits and illusions that play just as well on a phone as on a TV.
Views and counting
Eye Wonder premiered on Disney XD in November 2021. Across Disney XD, Disney+ and DisneyNOW, the series has now passed 20 million views.
Because it lives on streaming as well as broadcast, new audiences keep finding it long after it first aired.
Magic Battles
First aired 11 Dec 2021
- Cards and Dogs and Rings
- Pens and Windows and Cake
- Glitter Slow Mo and Marshmallows
- Advice, Cardistry and Trick Shots
- Magic Battles
- Chopsticks
- Chimps and Teleporting
- Paint Covered Mousetraps
- 6 Foot Water Balloon
- Upside Down Magic
- Tik Tricks
Why it worked
The show spoke the language its audience already watches in.
Hooks, not intros
Every episode opens on something impossible, so kids are in before they can reach for the remote.
Built to be rewatched
Magic makes people look again. Slow motion, replays and reveals turn one watch into three.
Viewers become magicians
Teaching the trick gives kids something to take away, try at school and share with friends.
Online talent, Disney polish
Digital magicians kids already love, packaged with the production values of a Disney series.
What we did
Keep your eye on the eye
Three cards. One eye. Watch closely.
Remember where the eye is, then shuffle.
The tricks people ask about
Kids and parents ask AI assistants how tricks work and where to learn magic. Videos that show the illusion and then explain it clearly are exactly what those answers draw on, which keeps a show like Eye Wonder working long after it airs.
How we make brands the answer →