Who: Air Canada, with FCB for strategy and creative; Hornet for animation, Cult Nation and OSO for audio; and Mindshare for media.
What: “Once Upon a Tree,” a holiday spot which keeps up the airline's recent tradition of heartwarming creative about connecting with loved ones at Christmas,
When & Where: The campaign just launched, anchored by a 9o-second animated spot (in French and English) with cutdowns for TV, cinema, paid and organic social, and digital.
What: “Once Upon a Tree,” a holiday spot which keeps up the airline's recent tradition of heartwarming creative about connecting with loved ones at Christmas,
When & Where: The campaign just launched, anchored by a 9o-second animated spot (in French and English) with cutdowns for TV, cinema, paid and organic social, and digital.
Why: Air Canada is among a few Canadian marketers striving for breakthrough, highly emotional creative during the busy holiday period.
Back in 2019, then managing director, brand, Andy Shibata said that its Christmas campaign was about positioning the airliner as “a catalyst for fostering those magical reunions during the holidays.” Aside from 2020, when travel was all but stopped because of the pandemic, Air Canada kept that theme going in 2021, 2022, and again in 2023, in evocative animated spots with magical storylines about Air Canada helping reunite loved ones.
“We continue our tradition of combining whimsical animation with modern renditions of beloved Canadian songs to tell a story about being together over the holidays,” said Shibata, now vice president, brand, in a release. “So many of our customers travel great distances, and our Air Canada colleagues all feel a shared sense pride for our role in these journeys. That is the essence we wanted to capture in this holiday spot.”
How: The ad/film tells the story of two nutcracker bear Christmas tree ornaments that—after spending a year side-by-side in a box—are separated and placed on different parts of the tree. When one of the bears slips off his branch, he sets off on a mission to be with his bear buddy.
Multiple failed attempts see the bear end up back where he started each time. That is until he spots an Air Canada jet ornament, which finally delivers him safely to his friend, though with one final twist—both ornaments fall out of the tree, only to be put back on side-by-side by a homeowner wearing an Air Canada uniform, and the words "We go together" appear on screen.
“The holidays are a time to be together," said Jeremiah McNama, executive creative director at FCB. "It doesn’t matter if you’re separated by continents, or branches apart, we go to great lengths to be with the ones we love."
The spot uses animation that blends CGI technology with hand-painted brushstrokes, and is soundtracked by rising Montreal singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin covering Jean-Pierre Ferland’s 90s hit "Une Chance Qu'on S'a" in the French spot, and Bryan Adams’ “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)” in the English ad.
“In making this film we wanted a style that felt different and new,” said McNama. “Every frame was meticulously hand painted. It not only gives the film a unique look, but also a sense of nostalgia and warmth.”
“We continue our tradition of combining whimsical animation with modern renditions of beloved Canadian songs to tell a story about being together over the holidays,” said Shibata.
