Imaginary Friends Keep a Girl Company in Allegro's Touching Christmas Film
Minted Content director Sune Sorensen and DDB unveil a warm holiday film for Allegro, reminding us that the greatest gift we can give our children is time.
The spot follows Ida, a young girl whose imaginary friends help pack her school lunch or catch the bus on time. Others keep her company when she’s alone or cheer her up when she’s down. What they all have in common is that they fill a void - one, her busy parents struggle to fill.
The film features a new recording of the Ben. E. King classic 'Stand By Me' by musical singer Lucy Zahn ('Frozen') and stars London talents Delilah Bradley, Bruce Mackinnon, and Grace Rowe. Its production blends practical techniques with novel AI to bring Ida’s imaginary friends.
Director Sune Sorensen said, “It’s a very real story about parenthood and childhood, about the loss of innocence, about growing and not wanting to grow too fast, and about the little things that matter the most. It’s not tropey or clichéd, it’s a contemporary reflection on grappling with the balance of family, work, and life. Ida’s imaginary friends are more than an expression of her vivid fantasy, they’re a coping mechanism. That’s also why I didn’t want the infatuation with AI or effects to overshadow the heart of the film.”
Integrating AI at this scale required new creative and technical solutions, Sune adds, “AI is a powerful tool, but it behaves very differently from traditional VFX, so you have to understand both its limits and its advantages. Ideas that are traditionally costly (i.e. multiple characters) can be achieved with much less effort, while those that are usually accomplished more easily (i.e. interactions) can prove more complicated. But ultimately, story still comes first”.
The production took place in September and relied on a close collaboration between the production designer, Platige (post-production), and a mix of puppeteers, stilt artists, and theatrical performers; “Our whole team pulled together to make sure the actors had something real to play against. Everyone, including the agency and client, were aware of the importance of finding the right balance between warmth, whimsy, and grounded authenticity.”
Both Sune Sorensen and Allegro have a history of successful viral Christmas campaigns, but this is their first collaboration together. Titled “The best world is the one we create together” it’s already on its way to becoming another viral hit with 2m views since its release this morning.
