PLUS Christmas

The film was considered as one of the most impactful ads of 2017. No wonder it helped PLUS to hit an all-time high revenue during the holiday season. Moreover, it sparked the conversation about co-parenthood in and outside of the Netherlands. Lovers and haters passionately discussed the ad in news items, TV shows, columns and (of course) social media.

With this film we wanted to pay homage to the craft you see in the great Christmas ads, by being very careful with our cinematography, choice of music, casting and of course our sensitivity to the emotional subject matter. But then with a slightly different twist by not shying away from some of the more bittersweet feelings at this time of year. 

The film was shot by one of the Netherlands most celebrated commercial directors who is known for using emotion in a very powerful way. For this spot he collaborated with a female director, who is a rising talent. Both directors had affinity with the subject matter and brought a different perspective to the story - by collaborating they could achieve the delicacy and intimate storytelling that the script required. The director of photography translated the story visually and the go-to strategic music partner came on board to undertake a careful and extensive music search resulting in the track by The Cinematic Orchestra.

PLUS Supermarket briefed us to create their very first ‘people driven’ – rather than product driven – Christmas ad. The agency’s idea was to make something emotional, authentic and perhaps more true-to-life than the norm.

Jury Feedback

CINEMATOGRAPHY / SILVER

The judges were impressed by the well-executed and subtle camera work. An outstanding combination of a classic story with a modern feel while staying away from clichés. 

FILM & VIDEO / SILVER 

It’s quite common these days to see Christmas ads designed to pull at your heart strings, but hitting the perfect note is far from easy. We were moved by this modern family story that is incredibly well told and undeniably emotional.

FILM DIRECTION / BRONZE 

It’s a challenging film to make, in subject and storytelling. It can only be a success when the director pours their soul into it. And it shows.