ABC Kids, Leo Australia bring Auslan learning to Bluey with ‘Sign & Seek’

Australia – ABC Kids has partnered with Leo Australia to launch ‘Bluey’s Auslan Sign & Seek’, an interactive campaign that uses the popularity of local animated series Bluey to make Australian Sign Language (Auslan) learning more accessible and engaging for Australian families.  Developed with ABC Creative, Ludo Studio and Deaf Connect, the campaign will coincide with the National Week of Deaf People 2026 and follows the introduction of Auslan interpretation across every episode of Bluey. The campaign takes an established fan behaviour, watching closely for details and hidden items in Bluey, and turns it into an interactive learning mechanic.  Exciting changes will premiere at the Bluey marathon weekend on ABC Kids from October 3 to 4, which will feature 24 episodes of gamified versions of the show’s iconic theme song. This replaces the familiar lyrics with signed words that direct viewers to items they can find within each episode. By combining the recognisable Bluey soundtrack with a simple search-and-find mechanic, ‘Sign & Seek’ makes Auslan learning part of the viewing experience rather than positioning it as a separate educational activity.  The strategy also allows Deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing audiences to participate in the same experience, using a much-loved entertainment property as a platform for accessibility and connection. Belinda Drew, Head of Marketing at ABC, said, “Bluey is one of the most-loved kids’ shows in the world. Pairing it with Auslan puts language education in front of millions of families, turning a beloved show into a genuine force for accessibility.” “The ABC exists to help all Australians understand one another, through the power of storytelling. By introducing Auslan to Bluey, we are building a more inclusive future for the next generation of children,” added Milla McPhee, Director of Audiences at ABC. The campaign builds on Bluey’s existing relationship with Deaf representation. In 2022, the series worked with Deaf Connect to create its first picture-in-picture Auslan interpretation for ‘Turtle Boy’, an episode featuring Dougie, a deaf dog, as its main character. ‘Sign & Seek’ expands that approach by using the wider Bluey fandom to encourage Auslan uptake across the broader Australian community. Hilary Badger, ECD at Leo Australia, noted, “All Australians benefit when we communicate with Auslan. What better way to support Auslan learning than making it fun with Bluey? Intercepting Bluey’s famous title sequence with signs and clues to spot tees into an existing fan behaviour – Bluey fans love to scan the show for long dogs and other hidden items. Sign & Seek was a natural extension for the fandom.” All episodes of Bluey will be available with Auslan translation from October 3, extending the campaign beyond its marathon weekend activation.  Inspired by a father’s desire for his Deaf daughter to experience Bluey in the same way as other children, the initiative uses the show’s cultural reach to make accessibility and shared participation part of its marketing strategy. With ‘Sign & Seek’, ABC Kids and Leo Australia demonstrate how brands and media properties can build accessibility into familiar audience behaviours rather than treating it as an add-on.  The campaign creates a shared experience designed to support greater awareness and learning across the Australian community by turning Bluey’s existing music, fandom and storytelling into a mechanism for Auslan discovery.