Operation Christmas

The Ministry of Defence in Colombia ran “Operación Navidad” (Operation Christmas), in an attempt to encourage the demobilization of guerilla fighters in the jungles of Colombia. Las FARC has been fighting a battle against the Colombian government for 60 years, retreating deeper and deeper into the jungle every day. Operación Navidad involved decorating ten 25 meter tall trees with Christmas lights. When guerrilla fighters approached the trees, movement sensors made it light up with a banner announcing the message, “If Christmas can come to the jungle, you can come home. Demobilize. Everything is possible at Christmas.” 331 guerrillas who have demobilized acknowledge that the Operacion Navidad trees motivated them to finally give up their weapons. The campaign won a Gold Outdoor Lion at Cannes International Festival of Creativity 2011.
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Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMLoYpy_HFw

Credits

The Operacion Navidad campaign was developed at Lowe-SSP3 Bogotá, Colombia, by chief creative officer Jose Miguel Sokoloff, creative directors Alejandro Benavides and Santiago Mesa, copywriter Sergio Leon, art director Carlos Andres Rodriguez, account director Juan Pablo Garcia, account executive Emiliano Arango, agency producer Jose Vicente Altamar. The case study was filmed by directors Jose Maria Angel and Jaime Gonzalez, editor David Abril and animator Alejandro Ussa, with creatives Alejandro Aponte and copywriter Mario Lagos.