For many, the holidays are a time of tradition, nostalgia, and togetherness—where food is more than sustenance; it’s a gift shared with loved ones. We wanted to create a holiday campaign that wasn’t just about Iberia's products but about the experience of flavor, family, and the joy of cooking for those who matter most.
Rather than a traditional product-driven ad, we focused on storytelling that felt personal and universally relatable. Our campaign reimagined Santa Claus, not as the legendary gift-giver, but as a warm, familiar figure in the kitchen, preparing a feast for those who make Christmas special for not only him, but the entire world—his elves, reindeer, and of course, Mrs. Claus. Because even Santa knows that the heart of the holidays is found in the kitchen.
The goal was clear—capture the essence of Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve dinner that is the heart of holiday gatherings in many Latin households. We sought to create a spot that felt nostalgic yet fresh, rooted in tradition yet modern in execution. The objectives were to strengthen brand affinity through emotional storytelling, increase engagement by sparking conversations around holiday traditions, drive product awareness by seamlessly integrating Iberia’s offerings, and ultimately position Iberia as an essential part of holiday cooking.
By embracing a poetic, visually immersive approach, with a slight comedic twist, we aimed to create something more than just a holiday ad. We wanted to create a moment of shared cultural pride, a film that would remind people of their own traditions, kitchens, and the warmth of home during the holidays.
Our approach blended emotional storytelling with natural product integration, ensuring that Iberia’s presence in the commercial was not just seen but felt. The insight was simple yet powerful: food is more than sustenance—it’s an expression of love, gratitude, and togetherness, especially during the holidays.
The commercial opens on Santa’s warm kitchen on Christmas Eve—but instead of preparing presents, he’s preparing a feast. While his elves and Mrs. Clause and reindeer put the final touches before the big day, Santa is busy making one last gift—the gift of sabor. The narration takes us through his process, from seasoning and cooking to setting the table, each moment infused with care and tradition. As he plates the final dish, the story builds to a heartfelt conclusion:
"For the best Nochebuenas are filled with flavor y amor,
So this Christmas, he gave them the gift of sabor."
The poetic structure makes the narration both immersive and rhythmic, guiding the audience through visuals of cooking, movement, and festivity while subtly reinforcing the brand’s positioning—that Iberia is at the heart of holiday meals.
This commercial wasn’t just about Iberia’s products; it was about evoking nostalgia, warmth, and tradition. The visual storytelling leaned into rich textures, warm lighting, and immersive sound design, making viewers feel as if they were in the kitchen with Santa. Every sound—from the sizzle of pork to the gentle clink of a champagne flute—was crafted to engage the senses and heighten the emotional connection.
From a brand perspective, the campaign was also a seamless extension of Iberia’s positioning. The brand’s tagline, "It’s all about sabor," is more than a slogan—it’s an ethos. It represents the depth of flavor Iberia products bring to cherished meals, which made it a natural way to close the spot with authenticity and bring the message full circle.
The entire commercial was produced in under a month, with a four-person crew and a creative director who wore multiple hats—director, copywriter, producer, editor, audio editor and even the actor playing Santa. With the exception of the first song that kicks off the commercial, everything from the music, the sound effects, and even the voice over, was generated using ai tools. We used Eleven Labs for Sound Effects and the Narration, and we used Udio for the generation of the latin music that kicks in when things start to heat up in the kitchen.
Despite the limited resources, the film’s high production value, engaging pacing, and emotional resonance made it feel like a big-budget holiday commercial. Instead of relying on direct product placement, we focused on natural, organic integration—letting Iberia’s products exist in the world of the film as they would in a real kitchen. The campaign was designed to feel evergreen, allowing Iberia to use it year after year without it feeling like just another seasonal ad.
The campaign was distributed across social media, digital placements, and Iberia’s owned channels, with a one-minute film.
Despite working within a lean budget and an accelerated production timeline, the campaign successfully brought to life a high-quality, emotionally resonant holiday commercial that captured the spirit of Nochebuena.
By blending cinematic visuals, rhythmic storytelling, and immersive sound design, we crafted a spot that felt premium and timeless—delivering a brand film that could live beyond a single holiday season.
From an executional standpoint, the campaign stands as a testament to what can be achieved with strategic creative direction and resourceful production. With just a four-person core crew, every element of the campaign was meticulously crafted to maximize impact.
While the campaign was not backed by a large-scale media buy, it reinforced Iberia’s presence as a brand deeply connected to cultural traditions, particularly during the holidays. The response from internal stakeholders and key brand audiences underscored its success as an evergreen piece of content that could continue to serve Iberia’s holiday marketing efforts for years to come.
Most importantly, the commercial achieved its core objective—telling a heartwarming, food-driven holiday story that celebrated togetherness, tradition, and the essence of sabor.
