Film Craft > Production
CYW, Madrid / PRIME VIDEO / 2022
Overview
Credits
Write a short summary of what happens in the film.
The commercial tells the story of a friendship between a hyena named Hattie, who is bullied by her pack for not knowing how to laugh, and an antisocial zookeeper -Carl- who doesn't want to laugh at all. Their passion for content makes Carl and Hattie end up sharing a curious friendship that will lead them to escape from the zoo and regain hope and more importantly, their smile. An unexpected Christmas tale condensed in two minutes for Prime Video, a brand specialized in storytelling.
Cultural / Context information for the jury
Hyenas are usually portrayed as savage animals, especially thanks to international classic films like The Lion King. We had to turn that around through the storytelling, different gags in the film, and our main character’s evolution.
Another challenge was that the campaign was aired in 7 different countries with very different languages so we had to develop a story that would resonate across every culture. We wrote a script with no dialogue and with relatable characters who could make anyone, anywhere, smile.
An Unlikely Friendship was Prime Video first Christmas ad in Europe; broadcasted in 7 countries: Spain, UK, France, Ireland, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, so the content displayed on the screens throughout the commercial changed for each one of the markets.
More Entries from Cinematography in Film Craft
24 items
More Entries from CYW
24 items