Air Canada has unwrapped its annual holiday video, a 1:30-minute animated spot designed “to capture the joy of reuniting with loved ones at the most wonderful time of the year.” “Once upon a Tree” is the story of two button-cute nutcracker bears who, after a year of being tucked away together, find themselves on separate sides of the tree.
Distraught at the thought of spending the holidays apart, a series of heroic efforts to reconnect include zip-lining along a string of lights and collapsing a gingerbread house. And with a little help from Air Canada, in a dramatic and final leap of faith, the tiny wooden bears reunite with a heartwarming embrace.
“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,” says Air Canada VP Andy Shibata. “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.”
Blending the latest CGI technology with hand-painted brushstrokes, in both the French and English renditions, the creative storybook-style visuals are complemented by the voice of Montréal singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin, who returns to Air Canada’s holiday campaign for a second year.
In addition to recreating the ‘90s hit “Une Chance Qu’on S’a” by legendary Montreal crooner Jean-Pierre Ferland in the French ad spot, the four-time Juno Award winner also puts her beautiful new spin on Bryan Adams’ iconic 1991 classic “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)” in the English spot – bringing together two of the country’s great classics in a new stirring symphony.
The spot is available in 90-, 60-, 30- and 15-second cutdowns across both paid and organic social media, Air Canada’s in-flight entertainment system, and will also be shown on television and in cinemas across Canada.
Air Canada also recently expanded its in-flight entertainment offering to include a selection of holiday films and will also be offering a holiday dinner on flights on Dec. 24 and 25.
Watch the video here: