Hornet has produced its fourth holiday commercial for US supermarket chain, Kroger. This year DDB New York, gave the production company story about a family’s holiday memories created over treasured dishes. Today’s Holiday Moments are Tomorrow’s Memories is aptly heartwarming and food-y. Christmas is about tradition, family and love all linked together with shared food. It is also Hornet’s most ambitious Kroger film to date.
“We brought our formidable and poignant storyteller, director Yves Geleyn, together with the powerful cinematic stylings of feature director, Mike Thurmeier, to co-direct this special holiday film, and revelled at the chance to dig in to such a moving story while bringing our entire CG toolkit to bear,” Hornet commented.
“Through Jack and Isabela’s story, we are reminded that as life goes on, we all have special ways of keeping our loved ones with us. We wanted to make it relatable to the viewer, emphasize the importance of living the moment, and place the magic of family meals at the core. I think our biggest challenge was to hit so many different emotions in the run time we had, without anything feeling underdeveloped or over the top,” Geleyn stated.
The film is the story of Jack Kroji, who finds his late wife’s cookbook. He tries to make a few dishes, and after each taste, he relives a holiday memory. The film ends in the present day when Jack carries on his favourite food traditions with his granddaughter.
The music that amps up the emotional impact of the film is by Grammy-awarded singer-songwriter, Colbie Caillat, who recorded a special rendition of Iris, originally written by the Goo Goo Dolls in 1998.
The characters have been given real-life details this year, making their feelings and unique personalities more relatable.
“The iconic Kroger characters have been evolving ever since Hornet director, César Pelizer, designed the first ones back in 2019. For this exciting and ambitious evolution of the Kroji look to date, we brought on our friend and feature animation art director, Mike Knapp, to add extra sprinkles of holiday magic to the Kroji world,” Hornet explained.
“One of the things we wanted to push in the look of this piece was making it feel almost handmade. From the fuzzies on the sweaters to strands of the hair,” added art director, Mike Knapp.
“In developing an updated look, the team strove to keep the Krojis instantly recognisable while pushing the overall realism and tactility. The proportions and shapes remained consistent, while details and textures like hair, clothing, hands, facial lines, and environments all took on a more tactile approach. To further the miniature/stop-motion feel, the camera had a stronger depth of field and the fabrics were intentionally oversized,” Hornet noted. All of the environments, from the neighbouring houses to the kitchen decor, were also researched and rendered in new ways.
The campaign also includes a printable colouring book featuring scenes and recipes from the film.
“We know families look to food to make lasting memories during the holidays,” stated Emily Hartmann, Kroger’s senior director of brand marketing. “This sentiment carries so much emotion, and we wanted to capture that feeling in this campaign. Customers will see it come to life in a beautiful story told through elevated characters and environments that don’t compromise the simplicity of the Kroji’s graphic nature.”
The campaign is running nationally in the US and will appear during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as well as during the New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys matchup on Thanksgiving Day and The Ohio State Buckeyes-Michigan Wolverines game Thanksgiving weekend. Kroger collaborated with Food Network and The Cooking Channel for television, streaming and social extensions related to the holiday campaign.
Credits:
Client: Kroger
Marketing Director: Stuart Aitken
Brand Executive: Emily Hartmann
Brand Managers: Karrie Pukstas & Lindsey Hasis
Agency: DDB New York
President: Darla Price
Chief Creative Officer: Mat Bisher
Creative Directors: Paulo Junger, Cassandra Anderson, Vinicius Fernandes, Mussashi Shintaku & Rafael Oliveira
Producer: Bree Hopenwasser
Head Of Production: Teri Altman
Director Of Business Affairs: Kelly Mccann
Business Director: Natascha Vega
Account Manager: Emma Matthys
Account Executive: Olivia Jacobson
Strategy Directors: Baxter Holland & Kashmira Karnik
Project Managers: Camille Coklow & Georgina MacDonald
Production Company: Hornet
Director: Yves Geleyn
Director: Michael Thurmeier
Art Director: Michael Knapp
Managing Partner: Hana Shimizu
Head of Production: Karen Lawler
Creative: Kristin Labriola
Executive Producer: Alex Unick
Production Supervisor: Dez Stavracos
Producer: Sean O’loughlin
Coordinator: Brandon Buikema
Storyboard Artists: Tony Makinen, Camillo Clauser, Stephanie Dere, Valerie Yan
Character Design: Margaux Zisner
Designers: Tom Humber, Alex Levenson, Hannah Kim, Valerie Yan, Alma Kim
Rigging: Chris Hill
Modelling: Alex Levenson, Adam Rozenwieg, Nick Wegin, Angeline Rivera, Constance Benson
Look Development: Rui Zhu, Joseph Chen, Angeline Rivera, Mohamed Sinbawy, Kwan Au, Alvin Bae
Lighting: Natalia Perez Melendez, Nicole Noel, Kwan Au, Alvin Bae, Mohamed Sinbawy, Grace Hwang, Nelson Mai, Richard Kim, Nick Wergin, Angeline Rivera
Animation: Meg Oswalt, Matt Parent, Nick Christie, Hee Jin Kim, Rob Somers, Matt Corsillo
