The Mill+ Unwraps the Production Design Behind Duracell's Christmas Ad

Crafted by Wunderman Thompson and directed by Geoffroy Barbet Massin through Mill+ Paris, this charming, animated advertisement for Duracell showcases the iconic Bunny mascot rescuing Santa from a Christmas power outage.

This campaign marks the brand's inaugural festive venture 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 diligently maintained the Bunny's visual identity, ensuring consistency and authenticity across all global media channels, including television, digital platforms, social media, and DOOH. The campaign has successfully garnered a substantial one million views on YouTube.

Titled 'Bunny Saves Christmas', the narrative 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.

It's time to take a peek behind the scenes of the project here,  set to the rhythmic backdrop of 'Run, Run, Run' by the music group Headkeyz. Director Geoffroy Barbet Massin and Hugues Allart, head of Mill+ Paris, and executive producer of the project, are here.

"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. This bunny has been a part of our studio for eight or nine 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. I cannot take all the credit; I am supported by the entire animation team and Mill+, the integrated production team at The Mill. At The Mill, we take pride in having 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." said Geoffroy Barbet-Massin, director. 

"Making an animated film is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding production experiences for a producer. There are numerous stages and options between a script and a final film. While the design of the characters (physiological characteristics, shape, definition of behaviour, 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. 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." said Hugues Allart, head of Mill+ Paris and executive producer.