People on the streets of downtown Toronto are likely to have seen a flock of blue birds rising out of a trio of bus shelters.

The origami-inspired, 3-D-modelled birds that rise above the board on sticks (see image, right) mimic a scene out of Kubo and the Two Strings, a stop-animation film that opens in theatres today.

To promote Laika’s (animation studio) fifth film (it was the force behind Coraline and Box Trolls), the film’s Canadian distribution company, Entertainment One worked with a host of agencies (Dentsu Aegis’ Isobar and Vizeum) to bring to life the finer artistic aspects of the film (like the origami birds) and draw a wider-than-usual demo into the cinemas.

The OOH execution for Kubo and the Two Strings was aimed at tapping into a wider audience than just kids, said Margaret Burnside, VP, marketing at eOne.

In addition to the origami birds, downtown Toronto’s Astral Media shelters, which have tech capability, are also hosting an interactive game modelled on Fruit Ninja, a samurai-inspired kids-focused game that lets players slice through fruit as they propel towards them. In the Laika version, players can slice through various Kubo characters set against the majestic background that comes to life in the film.

That interactive game is also available online and can be played in five Cineplex cinemas across the country: two in Toronto and one each in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

Kubo and the Two Strings is about a young orphaned boy who is born to a Samurai father and a mother with strong, magical powers. Launching today, it features voice actors including Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey and Ralph Fiennes.