Unlisted Brings the Year of the Rabbit to Beautiful New Life

Yves Geleyn directs Coca Cola’s heartwarming Lunar New Year spot for the second year running.

Unlisted, and animation director Yves Geleyn, have reunited with Coca Cola Greater China, Ogilvy Shanghai and Hornet to bring to life the “Real Magic” of Coca Cola’s Year of the Rabbit Lunar New Year campaign.

According to the Lunar New Year Zodiac, the Rabbit is the luckiest of the twelve animals; an emblem of good fortune which echoes through the campaign. Lunar New Year is the biggest and most important festival in Chinese culture, bringing families together to celebrate and connect. 

Yves’ poignant storytelling and command of narrative detail magnify the emotional intimacy of our rabbit family’s journey to overcome their differences as they share joyful moments over a coke. The story culminates in a moment of reunification and belonging, with Coca-Cola reminding us of this season’s powerful campaign message: the years may pass, but celebrating together is magic.

“A compelling narrative, cinematic whimsy, and rich textural details. It’s everything you could want in a film like this, and more”, says Yves.

Yves’ devotion to gorgeously realised characters and environments is on full display, deftly juxtaposing Chinese-inspired landscapes and intricate details. The soft, organic essence of the traditional home stands in stark contrast to the hard angularity of the modern one, yet there’s a surprising warmth added by the lighting that helps to connect the two.

With the help of Peter de Sève, feature film illustrator and character designer, Grandma and Grandson Rabbit’s designs are in harmony, yet allow their distinct personalities to shine through.

Says Yves, “Peter has an unparalleled ability to express emotions with the flick of a pencil’s line. His contours and features bestow a human-like manner that allows these anthropomorphized animals to carry the weight of this story’s dramatic arc.”

Says Unlisted executive producer Graham Pryor. “After the success of our previous collaboration, we were thrilled to reunite with the teams at Coca Cola Greater China, Ogilvy Shanghai and of course, Yves and Hornet to deliver this beautiful film. It’s a great pleasure to work on this important campaign for a second time and we look forward to working together again in future.”