Air Canada shares the joy of holiday reunions in ‘Once upon a Tree’
Air Canada’s brand marketing team welcomed travel industry partners, family and friends to the Cineplex Cinemas at Yonge and Dundas in Toronto last night (Dec. 7) to premier the company’s 2023 holiday spot, ‘Once Upon a Tree.’
‘Once upon a Tree’ is the story of two Nutcracker Bears who, after a year of being tucked away together, find themselves on separate branches of the family Christmas tree.
Distraught at the thought of spending the holidays apart, they make heroic efforts to reconnect include zip-lining along a string of lights and collapsing a gingerbread house.
But with a little help from Air Canada, in a dramatic and final leap of faith, the tiny wooden bears reunite with a heartwarming embrace.
Andy Shibata, Vice President, Brand at Air Canada, said of the 90 second spot: “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.”
Shibata continued: “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.”
‘Once upon a Tree’ blends the latest CGI technology with hand-painted brushstrokes, in both the French and English renditions, the creative storybook-style visuals are perfectly complemented by the voice of Montréal singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin, who returns to Air Canada’s holiday campaign for the second year.
In addition to recreating the enchanting 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.
FCB handled strategy and creative, with animation by Hornet, audio by Cult Nation & OSO. The spot is available in 90, 60, 30 and 15 second cutdowns, and will live on 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 recently expanded its award-winning in-flight entertainment offering to include a selection of holiday films, ensuring customers have even more comfort to enjoy as they relax onboard. Air Canada will also be offering a holiday dinner on flights between December 24 and 25, to give customers a taste of home as they travel this holiday season.
In the photo
Air Canada’s brand marketing team was all smiles as it welcomed industry partners, families and friends to the premier of its 2023 holiday spot, ‘Once Upon a Tree’ at the Cineplex Cinemas at Yonge and Dundas in Toronto last night (Dec. 7).
