Love is the Wind Beneath these Bumblebees’ Wings in Erste’s Inspiring Christmas Ad
Erste Group Bank in Austria has released another animated Christmas commercial to remind people of the power of love and self-belief.
An emotional story about a pair of young bumblebees struggling to fly, the film was created by the Austrian agency Jung von Matt/DONAU and produced through Passion Animation Studios in London.
"This year's story takes place in a world in which bumblebees -- freely applying the so-called bumblebee paradox -- firmly believe that with their small wings and relatively large bodies make it impossible for them to fly. Only young Hanna Bumblebee isn’t willing to simply follow what the others say, but instead pursues her own dream," says creative director Mike Nagy.
The ad has a similarly heartwarming message and tone to last year’s festive offering, also from Jung von Matt/DONAU and Passion, which told the story of Henry the Hedgehog’s struggles to be accepted when his spines kept getting in the way.
The new ad once again features a cute spherical main character - but this time, it’s no longer a hedgehog, but rather a bumblebee named Hanna Bumblebee along with her best friend Max.
The spot introduces us to a world in which bumblebees are firmly grounded, accompanies Hanna and Max on their countless attempts to fly, and shows how the two young bumblebees finally come up with an unexpected means of realising their dreams. The new Christmas advert also features a great deal of 3D finesse: the entire bumblebee village is CGI-animated and the characters are rendered in minute detail - from their fluffy hairs to their detailed facial expressions. The creatives responsible for these magical visuals had already given Henry the Hedgehog his unique look: the London-based production studio Passion Pictures and the director duo Kyra & Constantin.
Debbie Crosscup, MD at Passion Animation Studios said: “It was great working with Erste Bank and Jung von Matt for a second time on such lovely creative. It goes to the heart of what we try to do at Passion every day; tell stories that move people.”
Kyra & Constantin, directors, added: “What we like most about the story is that it's about a girl who shows the world that you should never give up even if the way is sometimes not clear.”
"The global success that we achieved with Henry the Hedgehog last year went far beyond our wildest dreams. But that success has also made clear that the principle of #believeinyourself knows no boundaries. In our current Christmas advert, we’ve managed to bring our core values across in a new and very touching story," says Martin Radjaby-Rasset, head of group brand management at Erste Group.
The #HannaBumblebee spot is being actively shared on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter in 11 countries in which Erste Group is present. The spot’s song, composed by Mcasso Productions and performed by singer Chanele McGuinness, will tread in Henry’s footsteps by being released on such leading streaming platforms as Apple Music or Spotify. And just like last year, the lyrics to the #HannaBumblebee song have been penned by Andreas Putz, managing director of Jung von Matt.
