WhatsApp Celebrates “the Fireworks Within” in a New Year’s Eve Campaign

Developed with AMV BBDO, the work encapsulates the emotions sparked by 100 billion messages expected to be sent on New Year's Eve

By Creative Salon

21 December 2022

WhatsApp, from Meta, has launched a new campaign that reveals the impact of connecting with friends and family ahead of the New Year.

Created by AMV BBDO, the work illustrates WhatsApp’s unique role in helping people have private conversations during the most universally shared cultural moment of the calendar year.

While many enjoy the parties, the noise, being up at midnight and fireworks, for most people the emotional reset of the New Year isn't about midnight or raising another glass. It's the moment they connect with the people that matter most via private texts and calls that bring us closer together.

WhatsApp repeatedly sets records for the amount of text messages and calls on New Year’s Eve, as people turn to the app to reach the ones that matter most.

This year’s campaign shows these “Fireworks Within” that touch on the way people feel when having a private 1-1 or group call during the holiday. The importance of personal connections is brought to life in a powerfully emotional 90’’ film, directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, at MJZ.

Vivian Odior, Head of Global Brand at WhatsApp, says “New Years is the one holiday that the world celebrates together, and the most important thing people do that day is text or call a loved one. We’re excited to celebrate those private moments people have in appreciation of the record setting use of WhatsApp on the holiday”.

Creative Partner Andre Sallowicz at AMV BBDO says, “We wanted to remind people that the best thing about the new year really is our kinship with each other. It’s the internal fireworks that matter, not the ones outside. And those often happen at the very moment we receive that heartfelt message or call from someone close to us, even if they’re far away”.

The campaign will run until the end of the year in India, Brazil, and the UK. Along with the 90’’ film, the work is also made up of 15” and 6” films for digital and social platforms and a content partnership with LadBible, developed by Ketchum. There are five bespoke assets, each dedicated to an emotional story showcasing how WhatsApp connects families across the globe.

Credits:

Client: Meta

Brand: WhatsApp

Campaign title: For the fireworks within

Client name: Vivian Odior, Jennie Morel, Renata de Carvalho Costa, Michelle Hammond and Jenny Gadd

Creative Agency: AMV BBDO

CCO: Nicholas Hulley and Nadja Lossgott

Creative Directors: Andre Sallowicz and Tinku Cupf

Creative Team: Pauline Ashford and Mike Kennedy

Agency Planning Team: Alice Aldridge and Yolanda Davis

Agency Account Team: Richard Moloney, Amy Tippen-Smith and Dorothy Tang

Agency Producers: Edwina Dennison and Meg Everett

In-House Creative Agency: Creative X - Rodrigo Moran (Head of Creative), Lucas Heck (Creative Director), Andre Felix (Creative) and Soham Chatterjee (Creative)

Media Agency: Spark Foundry

Production Company: MJZ

Director: Nicolai Fuglsig

Production Co. Producer: Tim Wild

Production Manager: Andrea Harvey

Director of Photography: Mélodie Preel

Edit: Fabrizio Rossetti and Gabriela Soria

Post-production Company: Selected Works

VFX Supervisor: Theajo Dharan

Creative Director: Greg Spencer

CG Creative Director: Francois Rosin

2D Artist: Richard Lyons, Eileen Chan, Maheshwaran Chandrasekaran and Georgie Ford