Dolmio is bringing its puppet family back to Australian screens in a campaign which celebrates the joy of family mealtime in households across the country.

Created in Australia by Sydney-based special effects studio Make-Up Effects Group in 2003, the Dolmio family – who have now been in retirement for a decade – was originally brought to life using handcrafted puppets, costumes and animatronics. The Italian-inspired characters went on to feature in global campaigns.

Now, refreshed character designs have reimagined Papa, Mama and the rest of the family through a modern lens, reconnecting with the generations who grew up with them while introducing the characters to a new audience. To bring the original designs into a new era, actors’ performances were captured using motion technology and refined by animators to preserve their distinctive, puppet-like charm. Voiced by Italian-born actors for authenticity, each character was meticulously designed and crafted by 3D artists as a faithful digital recreation of the much-loved originals.

Mars Food & Nutrition Australia Marketing Director Rachel Humphrey says the return of the puppets was inspired by the enduring place they continue to hold in Australians’ memories.

“The Dolmio family has been part of Australian households for more than two decades and remains one of the most recognisable parts of our brand’s history,” she says.

“As we looked to the future of the brand, we saw an opportunity to celebrate a family that a whole generation of Aussies grew up with. Bringing them back is about reconnecting with that nostalgia, while introducing them to a new generation in a way that feels fresh, relevant and true to what made them so memorable in the first place.”

To celebrate the relaunch, Dolmio is inviting Australians to become part of the family themselves through the Dolmio Puppetiser, a limited-time digital experience made in partnership with oOh!media and POLY. Led initially by content creators, families across Australia can use the AI platform to transform family photos into personalised Dolmio-style puppet portraits.

Families who take part will have the chance to see themselves in puppet form featured on digital billboards in select locations across Australia, bringing the campaign beyond the screen and into local communities while encouraging organic social sharing.