“Family Christmas” is life partner to “Christmas party”. Jack Daniel’s makes itself integral to both.

People get family-nostalgia at Christmas. That’s one of its most important functions. So while Jack Daniel’s is part of Christmas’ party side (upholding the tradition of a Christmas whiskey for 148 years), this year it’s also part of Christmas reunions…

…the ones that technology enables.

Jack Daniel’s agency, Arnold Furnace, used holographic technology to beam distant friends and family into a Sydney bar to share a chat and a drink. And it made a film about the event in the traditional Christmas style – it’s a flood of emotional warmth you can’t help but get swept up in.

“Our entire 2014 Christmas campaign, has enabled us to bring something special to Christmas this year. Whether it be our in-store presence at over 1,500 locations Australia wide, our Christmas website or this amazing video, the opportunity to bring friends and family together is important to us. For Jack Daniel’s, it’s not what’s under the tree, but who’s around it that matters,” Tim Ryder, brand manager, Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands noted.

After a global search in October, the Chrissy crusaders found three sets of drinkers to reconnect – a sister and brother living in Sydney and Vancouver respectively, parents from Melbourne whose son has been living in Oslo for 12 years and a couple of besties in Broome and Berlin who hadn’t seen each other for 4 years.

Then Arnold Furnace got together with hologram technology experts, Musion in Sydney. Watch what happened next (I bet you cry first and “phone home” second)…

…NB: There’s a surprise ending.

It’s entirely possible that Tom Spicer, Arnold Furnace executive creative director, cried too: “Normally tears are something to be avoided on the day of shooting, but in this case it was definitely a good thing. It’s a real privilege to be involved in such a rewarding project. Massive thanks to the Jack Daniel’s team for having such faith in us from the beginning and to Finch for pulling it off with such a deft touch.”

Creative credits:

Agency: Arnold Furnace

Executive creative director: Tom Spicer

Creatives: Chloe Banicevic & Helen MacDougall

Production: Monique Pardavi / Chris Hulsman

PR: James Wright & Adam Freedman @ Red Agency

Production Company: Finch

Director: Luke Bouchier

Producer: Amy Dymond

Executive producers: Michael Hilliard & Rob Galluzzo

Hologram partner – Musion

Social media strategy: Tom Hosking @ Society