Go behind-the-scenes as the iconic mascot saves Santa from a Xmas power outage in the charming, animated advert, directed by Geoffroy Barbet Massin; the spot clearly reminds viewers – and Rudolf - it's best to ALWAYS have a couple spare AA batteries on hand.
The Mill+ Paris helped to bring the iconic Duracell Bunny to life in the new Duracell 3DCG animated campaign, Bunny Saves Christmas, crafted by Wunderman Thompson and directed by Geoffroy Barbet-Massin. In the charming, animated advertisement, the iconic mascot rescues Santa from a Christmas power outage.
The advertisement marks the first new campaign for the brand in half a decade, with the previous one, Don't Forget Duracell this Christmas, also directed by Geoffroy Barbet Massin in 2017. Over the past decade, The Mill+ Paris has maintained the Bunny's visual identity, ensuring consistency and authenticity across global media channels, including television, digital platforms, social media, and DOOH. According to The Mill, the campaign has garnered 1 million views on YouTube so far.
Titled Bunny Saves Christmas, the spot unfolds with Santa's sleigh soaring above a snowy forest. The red-nosed reindeer, responsible for lighting the way, experiences a power failure, resulting in a dramatic crash to the ground. Fortunately, the Duracell Bunny swoops in just in time to replace the conventional batteries in Rudolf's nose with Duracell Optimum batteries. Instantly, the reindeer's nose lights up, casting an even brighter glow across the forest, ultimately getting Santa back on track.
Watch: Don't Forget Duracell this Christmas, then check out the BTS video below:
“I am thrilled to once again have the opportunity to create Duracell’s Christmas film from scratch, five years after their last campaign, which I also directed,” commented Barbet-Massin. “This bunny has been a part of our studio for 8 or 9 years, and being able to contribute as both an animator and director on this project has been fantastic. Our goal is to transport the audience into a magical world and remind them of the enchantment of Christmas.”
Barbet-Massin attributes the campaign’s successful execution to Mill+ Paris’ entire animation team and The Mill’s integrated production team, which boasts a diverse range of artistic talents, both in visual effects and production, “This diversity of expertise allows us to handle projects in their entirety, from scriptwriting to production to visual effects – a complete team with complementary skills and undeniable creative strength.”
“Making an animated film is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding production experiences for a producer,” shared Mill+ Paris head and executive producer Hugues Allart. “There are numerous stages and options between a script and a final film. While the design of the characters (physiological characteristics, shape, definition of behavior, etc.), the 2D animatic of the film, and the creation of the music are undeniably major creative areas for conveying the message and emotions, production design is a key factor in the success of a film.”
“Similar to biology, you need to create the optimal environment that aligns with the communication objectives and the artistic project, highlighting creative ideas,” added Allart. “If you succeed in creating this fertile environment and managing it with vision and conviction, you exponentially enhance the project’s potential by giving it a distinctive dimension. The result is an original piece of work that comes to life.”
Watch: Ad Making-of Duracell “Bunny Saves Christmas:”
The animation’s rhythmic backdrop of “Run, Run, Run” is by the music group Headkeyz.
Source: The Mill
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
