The Rebels Save Christmas in Duracell's Action-packed Star Wars Ad

Duracell, the official battery power for the Star Wars franchise and its highly-anticipated new release, 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,' is supporting the healing power of imaginative play with a donation of one million batteries to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals nationwide. To launch its new holiday campaign, Duracell has teamed with Anomaly to release an all-new 60-second commercial, “How the Rebels Saved Christmas,” featuring young patients forging an epic Star Wars duel while delivering a battery-powered toy to another patient’s hospital room.

“Tapping into our imaginations during the healing and recovery process reduces stress, pain and anxiety,” said Dr. Charlotte Reznick, Ph.D., an internationally recognised child educational psychologist, former UCLA associate clinical professor of psychology, and author of the Los Angeles Times best-selling book, 'The Power of Your Child’s Imagination.' “I’m delighted that Duracell has embraced the fact that letting kids be kids through imaginative play is healthy – mentally, emotionally and physically.”

Duracell’s donation of 1 million batteries will power toys at 147 Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals nationwide. The batteries will ship in early November and will arrive by the holidays.

"After visiting the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, we saw first-hand the impact that the power of imaginative play has on children and we were instantly inspired to support their mission,” said Ramon Velutini, Marketing Director of Duracell. “Imaginative play truly is the best medicine – that’s why this holiday season Duracell is on a mission to power long-lasting play for those who need it most."

“There is no better way to do this than by partnering with Star Wars,” said Velutini. "The sheer power of this story has ignited imaginations for decades, and Duracell is excited to continue working with Star Wars to power the imaginations of the next generation."

Imagination is central to the career of “How the Rebels Saved Christmas” director Simon McQuoid, whose work for the likes of Nissan, Netflix, Dr. Pepper and others has been recognised with a host of awards including a Cannes Lion. “This commercial follows the imaginative minds of these kids as they enter an adventure within the Star Wars universe. Duracell is the perfect power for their R2-D2 toy as well as their endless imaginations,” said McQuoid.