„Weihnachten ist in Dir“

With ‘Christmas is in you’, OTTO tells an unexpected story that’s sure to tug on everyone’s heartstrings. Visually the campaign is clearly differentiated from previous Christmas clips and campaigns in the German advertising market. This is the first time the online retailer is releasing a fully animated short story; the film’s storyline builds on the principle that it is nicer to give than to receive.

In the 82-second Christmas story, the postman Mr Banks discovers a lost letter from Tommy, a little kid at the time, to his grandpa who has passed away and who is now in ‘Heaven’. In the letter, Tommy tells his grandpa of his deepest Christmas wish. Touched by the little boy’s letter, the postman selflessly decides to undertake a long, gruelling journey. The mission: to find the now adult Tommy and make his wish finally come true after these many years. Mr. Banks brings the wonder of Christmas to life in a truly understated way: he leaves the gift for Tommy and at the same time he spreads the Christmas message of humanity and charity to viewers – all in keeping with the slogan: ‘Christmas is in you’. OTTO shows in a charming way what a great feeling you can get from giving gifts and making long-standing dreams come true.

“Our aim with this moving Christmas story is to surprise and inspire. This is why we’re presenting our new campaign in the form of an animation with which we want to bring the magic of Christmas to every TV screen”, explains Marc Opelt, Member of the OTTO Management Board, Marketing & Sales. “This is the first time we’re getting people in the Christmas spirit primarily by using a campaign site and through our digital channels. As part of this, we are focusing even more on employing emotionally orientated storytelling to also position otto.de as the online shop at Christmas time”, he adds.

From 17 November onwards ‘Christmas is in you’ will be advertised on German TV with a 20-second trailer; the film will also be promoted through online marketing campaigns. To see the full story visit www.otto.de/weihnachtsfilm. beautifully designed microsite with its breathtaking visuals shows the film and offers additional features which allow visitors to share the soundtrack and send matching e-cards, among many other great free gifts. Site visitors will find themselves magically transported to the same winter landscape as in the film. Screen scrolling has been optimised so visitors, including those using mobile devices, will feel they are journeying into the world of Christmas through the eye of the camera, fully immersed in OTTO’s Christmas story. Furthermore, the microsite also features a social hub so visitors can share stories about which of their heart’s desires have come true. Using the hashtag #Weihnachtenistindir people can share their stories and experiences. Every story about a wish that has come true will appear as a star in ‘Heaven’ on the site.

HEIMAT, Berlin, designed the campaign. It was directed by Marie Hyon and Marco Spier from Psyop, New York, with Stink, Berlin, handling the production.<>