São Paulo – Founded in 2008, Brazilian animation company BIG Studios, which specializes in 3D animation, character design, design and AI for advertising campaigns, is partnering with a live-action production company from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to expand its international presence.
Under an agreement signed in June 2025, Montage Production became BIG Studios’ commercial representative in the Middle East, seeking clients across the region. In turn, BIG began contributing to the Arab company’s projects with its expertise in 3D animation and post-production.
With representation in Europe, an office in the United States and about 47% of its approved projects destined for international markets, the partnership with the Dubai-based company has proven to be the right choice.
“The Arab animation market is expanding. According to Mordor Intelligence, the Middle East’s media and entertainment industry is expected to reach USD 70 billion by 2029. When we assessed where to expand, we concluded that Dubai is not just a domestic market but a regional hub for campaigns in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt and even Morocco. We see tremendous potential in this partnership,” said Nelson Alves Neto, BIG Studios’ executive vice president and partner.
“But choosing Montage took time. We spent six to eight months searching before finding the right company. We chose it because it delivers high-quality work that aligns well with our profile.”
The partnership has been so successful that, in just over a year, about 8% of BIG Studios’ international projects have come from its operations in the UAE.
“I can say our relationship with the Dubai company has been marked by professionalism, which has made our projects very smooth to execute. What we really admire about the market there is that they value quality. That way of working has been a great learning experience for our team and has helped us better prepare our operations to serve the U.S. market,” Alves said.
Looking ahead, BIG Studios’ executives plan to travel to Dubai by the end of this year for a series of business meetings aimed at attracting new clients and strengthening relationships with local partners.
Although the company is interested in doing business with other Asian countries, it plans to consolidate its presence in the UAE and the U.S. before expanding into new markets. “We prefer to establish ourselves in these markets first and have a solid presence there before taking the next step,” Alves said
International expansion
Founded in April 2008 by Ricardo “Big” Passos, then art director at Fischer America, and Nicia Maria, client services director at McCann, BIG Studios began by producing 3D still images for the advertising industry. As the company grew, it launched its animation division in 2013.
Maria’s brother and Passos’ brother-in-law, São Paulo native Nelson Alves Neto, 48, became a partner in the company one month after it was founded. “Passos handled the creative side, while Maria was responsible for client services and sales, since she also came from the advertising industry. I initially joined to oversee all the financial and administrative operations. Having previously run my own business, I brought the entrepreneurial experience the company lacked,” the executive recalled.
Without actively pursuing it, we started receiving strong demand from overseas clients
Nelson Alves Neto
With the trio leading the company, BIG Studios completed numerous projects in Brazil, and over the years it won major industry awards, including Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, Anima Mundi, the Clube de Criação Festival, the New York Film Festival and the London International Awards. Twelve years after its founding, the company began serving international clients organically.
“Without actively pursuing it, we started receiving strong demand from overseas clients. Our first international project was in the United Kingdom, followed by projects in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Mexico, and last year, in the UAE,” Nelson said.
“BIG operates in two main business segments: 3D animation characters for advertising campaigns, and animation for the automotive industry. I believe we stand out because we are committed to delivering the highest quality, regardless of the size of the investment. That’s why we are so highly regarded in the international advertising market.”
BIG Studios opened its New York office after experiencing international growth and increasing demand from overseas clients. “I relocated to New York with another employee to lead the company’s commercial operations in the U.S., while all production and creative direction remain based in São Paulo,” Alves said.
Following its international growth and rising demand from overseas clients, BIG Studios opened its office in New York. “I relocated to the city with another employee to lead the company’s commercial operations in the U.S., while all production and creative direction remain based in São Paulo,” Alves said.
In addition to quality, keeping its production operations in Brazil remains one of the company’s main competitive advantages. “The key to our business model is producing in Brazil. If we move all our talent overseas, we lose that competitive edge,” he said.
Unlike its U.S. operation, BIG’s presence in Europe does not rely on its own office but follows a model similar to the one in Dubai through a partnership with a local company. “In Poland and the UAE, we work with carefully selected companies whose services complement ours, and that has proven to be highly worthwhile for BIG,” Alves concluded.
To serve its clients, BIG employs 35 people in São Paulo and, over nearly two decades, has delivered more than 2,000 original productions.
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Reported by Rebecca Vettore in collaboration with ANBA
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
