3.12.2019

New Erste Group Christmas advert goes viral

Building on the success of its Henry the Hedgehog spot in 2018 (which generated over 150 million views), Erste Group has launched a new Christmas advert that the Vienna-based banking group is targeting through media channels in 11 countries in the CEE region and making available to a global audience through social media. The new advert, which revolves around Erste’s group-wide guiding principle of #believeinyourself, has already generated nearly 3 million views since being posted this Sunday.

You can watch the new #HannaBumblebee spot on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter

"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 across our core values in a new and very touching story," says Martin Radjaby-Rasset, Head of Group Brand Management at Erste Group.

Henry, meet Hanna

Erste’s advert 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.

"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 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 realizing 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.

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, which was composed by Mcasso Productions in London, will tread in Henry’s footsteps by being released on such leading streaming platforms as Apple Music and Spotify. And just like last year, the lyrics to the #HannaBumblebee song have been penned by Andreas Putz, the managing director of Jung von Matt.

Credits for #HannaBumblebee

Client: Erste Group Bank AG

Head of Group Brand Management: Martin Radjaby-Rasset
Group Brand Management: Daniel Ratzenböck, Juraj Flimel

Agency: Jung von Matt/DONAU
CD: Andreas Putz, Mike Nagy
Copywriter: Karin Uebelbacher, Eva Zefferer, Andreas Putz
Art Director: Mike Nagy, Eva Zefferer, Karin Uebelbacher
Account Director: Benedikt Nussbaumer, Katharina Höller

Production: Passion Animation Studios (UK)
Directors: Kyra Buschor & Constantin Paeplow
Animation Director: Ferran Casas, Kyra Buschor & Constantin Paeplow
Executive Producer: Debbie Crosscup
Head of Production: Mike Turoff
Producer: Anna Cunnington
CG Coordinator: Suzanne Forward
Head of CG: Jason Nicholas
VFX Supervisor: Dave Walker
CG Supervisor: Stuart Hall

Music: Mcasso Productions (UK)
Title: “Another Way”
Composer: Richard Atkinson
Lyrics: Andreas Putz
Sound Design: Tom Martin
Producer: Tom Martin
Vocalist: Chanele McGuinness
Performers: Tender Trees ft. Chanele

Media Agency: Wavemaker, Sabine Binder-Wessely

Social Media Agency: Mediabrothers, Stephan Götz

Spot – video distribution channels

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erstebank.sparkasse/videos/976094292752866/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEVimVj5K9U
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErsteGroup/status/1201033186135818241

Music – distribution channels (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, iTunes)
https://ampl.ink/W4Lq2