Bringing the magic of Christmas
to the pub

The challenge

Christmas 2023 posed a unique challenge for Greene King Urban pubs. With no major sporting events like the 2022 World Cup, the lingering effects of post-COVID life, and the ever-present cost of living crisis, encouraging people to return to the pub during the festive season was no small feat.

Greene King needed an ad that would remind people of the magic of the pub at Christmas, tapping into the intangible feelings and experiences that make this time of year special. The goal was to reignite the festive spirit and draw people back to their local pubs for a warm, welcoming Christmas experience.

The approach

Our brainstorming sessions led us to a simple but powerful insight: while food and drink are important, the real reason people flock to pubs at Christmas is for the unique emotions and experiences that can only be found there. We wanted to bottle up that festive magic and present it in a way that felt both authentic and irresistible.

The concept was led to the camera moving on a smooth track, seamlessly gliding through different scenes representing classic Christmas moments at the pub—a cozy date night, a lively Christmas party, and a warm gathering with friends. Each scene was designed to evoke the distinct feelings that make Christmas at the pub so special.

Production

The shoot took place over two days at the iconic Deansgate Pub in Manchester, capturing the festive spirit in every frame. We used a RED Epic W 8k camera paired with a set of T2.3-T3.4 KOWA Anamorphic Lenses to give the footage a cinematic, rich feel. A camera track was crucial to achieving those smooth transitions between scenes, creating a visual journey through the pub that felt fluid and immersive.

Post-Production

Editing was all about making those transitions seamless, moving the audience effortlessly from one Christmas moment to the next. Colour grading played a vital role in ensuring each scene felt suitably “Christmassy”—rich reds, deep greens, and warm tones that evoked the holiday spirit.

Special effects were used to enhance the transitions between shots, while visual effects brought in graphic elements like the titles and the “Get in the Spirit” campaign theme, designed to look like twinkling Christmas lights. These graphical elements went through several iterations as we balanced legibility with the desired festive look.

The results

The final ad encapsulated everything that makes Christmas at Greene King Urban pubs so magical—cozy gatherings, joyful celebrations, and the irreplaceable feeling of being surrounded by good company.

The seamless transitions and festive colour grading made the ad visually compelling, while the creative use of special effects and graphics gave it that extra festive flair. Greene King was thrilled with the end result, so much so, they’re rolling the ad out again for Christmas 2024.