The Christmas Sweater, Pol Oslo and Nidar Julemarsipan

par Maud Largeaud , AdForum

 

 


Give us an overview of the campaign. What is it about?

Christmas is all about traditions. We all do the same stuff every year; we decorate the Christmas tree; we eat the same food; sing the same carols. But what really makes the holiday special are the personal things we do. This film is about the odd traditions that makes Christmas personal.

 

How this holiday communication is different from the usual for this advertiser?

It’s been years since Nidar Julemarsipan had a campaign like this. Most of the recent ads have focus more on the products. This year they wanted to remind people that marzipan is one of those odd little traditions that makes up Norwegian Christmas. Since their products are so tightly linked with Christmas it’s crucial that they stand out in the crowd in this short period.

 

What inspired you to approach the campaign this way?

Nidar came to us with a brief that said: create something that will make people feel something they haven’t felt before. Which is quite a big task. So we wrote this story about how some traditions are born, and that one day they will carry a special meaning for generations to come.

 

What’s a “behind the scenes” story that only you know about?

The Christmas Sweater was originally meant as a live-action film. We ended up sending the script to Gimpville, who mainly foucuses on animation, as a wildcard. When we got the treatment from the director, Alf Løvvold, we immediately fell in love with the look and feel of the whole thing. So we ended up with an animated universe.

 

Are there any holiday ad tropes that you think should be retired by now?

That’s a tough question, but since Christmas is rarely perfect, more ads could be a little more honest. It’s about showing all sides of the holiday and telling it in a compelling and interesting way.

 

What can we expect for the agency Pol in 2020?

We have a lot of interesting work going on right now, but we guess you just have to wait and see:)