Publicis has released a heart-wrenching new ad which sees Father Christmas get diagnosed with cancer. Forming part of its ongoing ‘Working with Cancer’ campaign, the ad aims to raise funds for a Paris-based treatment centre.
The agency’s stunningly produced five-minute film spotlights the “incredible yet realistic hope” of finding a cure for cancer and created pro-bono by Publicis Conseil, with additional support from Prodigious and Publicis Media.
Running across French TV, digital channels and cinema from 20 December, the film even received media planning donations from local media powerhouses such as TF1, NRJ, France Télévision and Canal, as well as Gravity, Paramount and Snapchat.
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“Our agencies have always made Christmas films to sell products or services. This year, Santa Claus is defending the fight against cancer because he himself has been affected by the disease,” Publicis Conseil chief executive and chief commercial officer, Marco Venturelli said.
“We wanted to raise awareness with Gustave Roussy, but above all we wanted to convey a message of hope, and say that he has been cured thanks to the donations received for research.”
Directed by Iconoclast’s Vladimir de Fontenay, the film will help raise awareness of the Gustave Roussy centre’s work over the vital festive donation period and depicts Santa himself being diagnosed, treated and recovering from cancer.
