Adland to Animation: The Making of History Hacks with Laura Cortes, Co-Founder of Spoonful
What happens when a creative director burned out by campaigns and content calendars pivots to making a claymation kids’ show—with AI?
In this candid and visually rich talk, Laura Cortes shares her journey from 15+ years at the intersection of advertising, interactive media, and emerging tech to launching History Hacks, an irreverent, imaginative AI-powered claymation series for kids. Born out of a desire to escape the churn and reconnect with meaning, the project blends handcrafted stop-motion with generative tools to reimagine how history is told to young minds.
Laura unpacks how her experience designing immersive campaigns for Google, CERN, and NFB laid the foundation for a new kind of storytelling—one where imperfection, play, and automation coexist. She’ll walk you through the founding of Spoonful Studios with Mikko Martikainen, the creative principles that drive History Hacks, and how burnout, motherhood, and a passion for impact seeded a fresh creative language.
About Laura
Laura Cortes is an executive creative director, immersive storyteller, and innovation strategist working at the intersection of entertainment, technology, and design. With over 15 years of experience leading cross-functional teams in advertising, VFX, and interactive media, she has helped shape award-winning experiences for major studios, global platforms, and visionary directors including SS Rajamouli.
Her work spans AI-powered creative tools, spatial storytelling, and narrative worldbuilding, with standout projects such as The Boys AR first-person shooter for Amazon Prime, The Mandalorian AR immersive experience, and AI lyric video for Muse as Head of Digital at Warner Bros. Records UK.
Recently, Laura co-founded Spoonful Studios, an AI-driven transmedia production house, partnering with animation studios and startups on bridging AI with traditional pipelines to shape the future of storytelling.
About Futurespaces
Futurespaces delves into contemporary experience design, with a specific focus on how innovations in design and technology can meaningfully enhance human connection.
Founded and led by Josh Goldblum (Bluecadet) Futurespaces offers live webinars and in-person tours that provide valuable insights into the creative process of creating contemporary experiences.