A heartwarming festive film
celebrating HomeServe engineers

The challenge

HomeServe wanted a heartwarming Christmas ad that celebrated their engineers while capturing the magic of the holiday season. With a fast turnaround and a tight budget, the brief called for something reminiscent of the much-loved John Lewis style—charming, emotional, and festive. The challenge? To deliver a high-quality ad that would stand out during the competitive Christmas period, all while working within significant time and budget constraints.

The approach

Our brainstorming sessions led us to a standout idea: positioning a HomeServe engineer as Father Christmas himself. We would showcase the work of HomeServe’s engineers as a kind of “Christmas magic,” blending the warmth of the holidays with the brand’s recognisable red colour scheme.

To elevate the production value, we decided to incorporate real reindeer into the ad—an idea we knew would both delight viewers and blow the client away. Thanks to our strong working relationship with HomeServe, we were given creative freedom, allowing us to fully execute our vision.

Production

The shoot took place over two days at multiple locations across Staffordshire and Cheshire. We filmed in three different houses and even at a reindeer farm to bring the magic to life. One of the biggest challenges was achieving that classic Christmas feel without relying on unpredictable weather conditions. We needed snow, but with no guarantee of winter weather, we turned to a trusty snow machine to fill the sky shots and avoided capturing the ground to keep the illusion intact. The snow added a touch of magic, making the scenes feel authentic and festive despite the lack of real snowfall.

We captured the footage using a RED Epic W 8k camera and a Freefly Movi Pro Gimbal, paired with Atlas Orion Anamorphic lenses to give the film a cinematic, nostalgic feel. The combination of high-quality equipment and creative problem-solving ensured that the production ran smoothly, even with the logistical challenges of multiple locations and live animals on set.

Post-Production

The editing process focused on enhancing the warm, magical atmosphere of the film. One of the key tasks was creating the final visual effects shot: a HomeServe van being pulled by reindeer flying past the moon. This shot was a complex blend of several elements, including a shot of the night sky, an asset of a full moon, and a digitally created HomeServe van, all combined in After Effects. The challenge was to make this heavily CGI-driven shot feel consistent with the rest of the footage, which was shot on location with minimal visual effects. Achieving the anamorphic style digitally, particularly the unique vignetting, warping, and bokeh, was no easy feat, but our team rose to the challenge.

Post-production took two weeks, with our team meticulously crafting each shot to ensure it met the high standards expected of a Christmas ad. The result was a film that blended the real and the magical seamlessly, delivering a final product that felt both festive and genuine.

The outcome

The final ad captured the Christmas spirit in a way that felt timeless and heartwarming, perfectly aligning with HomeServe’s brand while delivering a touch of festive magic. The combination of real reindeer, carefully crafted visual effects, and a touching narrative resonated strongly with viewers.

The snow-filled scenes, the clever integration of the brand’s colours, and the iconic final shot of the HomeServe van flying past the moon all worked together to create a memorable Christmas ad. Despite the tight budget and timeline, the ad was a resounding success, proving that with creativity and resourcefulness, even the most challenging projects can deliver standout results.