With the holidays representing a shared moment where we reflect on our most cherished memories–times filled with joy, togetherness, and unforgettable experiences, Microsoft is showing people how they can use AI to amplify their holiday creativity to make those connections stronger and make their memories feel new. AI is a tool best powered by humanity, and humanity shines brightest during the holidays. The holiday season is synonymous with a celebration of who we are, where we come from, connections we’ve found and connections that ground.
The “Make Your Holiday A Masterpiece” campaign centers on rekindling connections with people, memories, and the things we cherish about the holiday season. This hero film features transmedia artist Ellie Pritts meeting with real people to learn more about their unique holiday memories and then transforms them into artistic custom AI masterpieces. In the spot, Pritts sets up on the street and as passersby approach, they sit down to share a memory with her. From New Year’s in Japan to Christmas in New Zealand, we see her collaborating with individuals from diverse backgrounds, each celebrating a different holiday. The film ends as Ellie unveils the artwork she’s created, capturing the emotional reactions of people as they see their holiday memories represented in a surprising new way.
The campaign features seven stories of people from all over the world featured together in the hero film and also in depth via :30 films. The films were directed by filmmaker and photographer Andree Ljutica, whose previous short works have played for audiences at Guanajuato International and have won juried awards at Palm Springs International. Consumers can go online to learn more bout the stories and then create their own. The campaign will be supported on Microsoft’s owned channels across digital and social.
Shayne Millington, chief creative officer, McCann New York, said, “The holidays are that special time of year where memories and traditions are created amongst friends and family. It was incredible to hear the range of stories from people all over the world and see their faces light up when their memories immediately became something tangible.”
CreditsClient Microsoft Kathleen Hall, corporate VP of brand; Sven Seger, general manager, global creative; Carol Phillips, general manager, global advertising; Sunita Richardson, sr. director, brand strategy + ops, chief of staff; Aleksey Fedorov, director, global brand marketing; Kaity Butcher, brand manager, Microsoft Brand Studio; Pia Rodriguez, global brand strategist; Stephanie Quartararo, managing advisor, content creation; Tommy Murov, post/VFX advisor (APR). Agency McCann Sean Bryan, chief creative officer and executive creative director global brands, North America; Shayne Millington, chief creative officer and executive creative director global brands, New York; Cristina Reina, Pete Johnson, EVPs, executive global creative directors; Lucas Casao, Guilherme Racz, SVPs, group creative directors; Camilla Ciappina, Daniel Trimarchi, associate creative directors; Matthew van Leeuwen, EVP, head of design; Mook Phoungbut, design director; Emily Portnoy, chief strategy officer; Sam Chotiner, EVP, executive strategy director; Danielle Noto, SVP, group strategy director; Kyla Jackson, strategist; Aaron Kovan, chief production officer; Stacy Flaum, SVP, executive producer; Jamie Jou, director of music licensing. Production Craft Worldwide Andree Ljutica, director; Adam Hirsch, SVP, head of content, North America; Zoe Greene, executive producer; Kim Anderson, line producer; Malik Dupree, photographer. Editorial No6 James Duffy, Nick Schneider, editors; Corina Dennison, exec producer; Laura Molinaro, head of production. Audio Revolve Audio Paul Weiss, mix engineer; Gilda McCrann, studio director. Music JSM
NHS England, M&C Saatchi UK, Director Tom Tagholm Team On PSA Highlighting The Overlooked Signs Of A Stroke
National Health Service (NHS) England has unveiled a multichannel campaign, “Act FAST,” to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing “Help Us, Help You” campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.
The campaign depicts everyday situations where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.
A key component of the campaign is this :30--directed by Tom Tagholm of Various Films--which sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The PSA emphasizes that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said, “We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.”
Matt Lee, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi UK, commented: “This is important work. We wanted to explore that precise moment when your world shifts, quietly yet powerfully, off its axis during a stroke. We highlight how a tiny external moment can actually be seismic—an extraordinary gear change, framed in a really ordinary way.”
Director Tagholm shared, “My Dad suffered a stroke a few years ago and was saved from the worst by acting quickly, and by the work of the NHS. So there’s... Read More