Continuing its partnership with Airbnb, animation studio BUCK collaborated with the client’s in-house creative team on “Santastrophe,” a film designed to draw attention to the humorous hurdles that Santa Claus encounters when delivering gifts to a hotel. Through Santa’s eyes, we see that some trips are merrier in an Airbnb.
In addition to online and social buys. the film will play ahead of Wicked and Gladiator 2 in AMC theaters (U.S.) through the end of December, and in seven international markets with five languages.
The miniature world builds on a style BUCK developed with Airbnb in 2022 and features real-life, actual Airbnbs, all the way down to the teeny tiny furniture. Some more details in this spot, include the gold stitching on Santa’s red coat which evokes the Airbnb logo. Blending the old with the new, the film begins with narration in rhyming verse inspired by the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore and closes with Run-D.M.C.’s “Christmas in Hollis.”
Credits
Client Airbnb Animation BUCK Joe Mullen, group creative director; Andy Lyon, creative director; Kirsten Collabolletta, executive producer; Fernanda Garcia Lopez, sr. producer; Laura Garcia Lopez, associate producer; Ruoyu Wen, Matty Deans, Tucker Klein, Rodney Lambright, Deco Daviola, Khylin Woodrow, Harry Teitelman, Song E Kim, storyboard artists; Heather Bartholomae, Lenny Mesina, storyboard editors; Shannon Rollins art director; Ben Nichols, Grace Park, Grace Poole, Joel Plosz, Matteo Berton, Matthew Kam, Mike Ellis, Rodney Lambright, Tuo Kan, Yukyung Lee, Carmel Gatchalian, designers; Fernando Utreras, Stan Chan, Felipe Hansen, Dae-Han Y, concept artists; Tinghe Yang, Junyi Xiao, 2D animators (cel); Alex Dingfelder, head of 3D/3D supervisor; Jens Lindgren, technical director; Peter DeSalvo, 3D animation supervisor; Tyler Lancaster, 3D animation director & 3D animation editor; Joshua Studebaker, Michele Herrera, 3D leads; Alfonso Petersen, Ash Samet, Chloe Tu, Danesh Taraporevala, Dave Soto, Eugene Goryachev, Paul Kim, Pedro Conti, Rui Huang, Tina Chao, Michele Herrera, Arvid Volz, modelers; Ernesto Ruiz Valasco, rigging supervisor; Hernan Ares, Juan Carlos Barraza Mendoza, Regina Cicone, riggers; Alvaro Michelena, Cesar Tafoya, Chris Meek, Hillary McCarthy, Ida Zhu, Josh Baum, Tommy Rodricks, May Lee, 3D animators; Glenn Suhy, Paul Hargrave, Sarah Chalek, Michele Herrera, Joshua Studebaker, Tina Chao, Rui Huang, lighters; Brinton Jaecks, Michele Herrera, Joshua Studebaker, Tina Chao, Eugene Goryachev, Sarah Chalek, Rui Huang, Paul Hargrave, compositors; Adam Webber, FX artist; Hernan Ares, Ernesto Ruiz Velasco, Juan Carlos Barraza Mendoza, Regina Cicone, cloth simulation artists; Ben Rohel, colorist; David Vendette, Talia Mazzarella, Heather Bartholomae, editors. Color Roast ‘N Post Sean Wells, colorist; Crystal Villamayor, producer
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
