The final Creative Work of the Week for November 2017 goes to Manchester City Council and its poignant, delicate animation of Santa skating the Worker Bee figure on ice.
The film, created by Flipbook, sees Father Christmas and Rudolph try their hands at ice skating, with a limited success. A child helps him up off the ice and back onto his skates, before the camera pans out to reveal that other skaters have etched out a huge bee in the ice.
The Worker Bee icon came to represent the spirit of Manchester’s resilience following the terror attack and resulting tragedies at the city’s arena in May.
Pat Karney, who has the enviable title of Manchester’s Christmas spokesperson, said the animation “touches the soul following turbulent times in the city this year”.
Andrew Lord, managing director at Flipbook Studio, added: "It was great working in partnership with Manchester City Council’s communications team again for another year of festive, creative brainstorming. We were asked to devise a creative treatment and animation that was humorous, heart-warming, poignant and that incorporated the worker bee emblem of Manchester, which has this year come to symbolise so much more to many Mancunians.
"Christmas is a time for unity and coming together and we wanted the animation to simply reflect that and Manchester’s indomitable and compassionate spirit. We’re very proud of our home city and delighted that the animation has been so well received."
Flipbook Studio, Manchester City Council Communications Team: Manchester City Council 'This is Christmas, This is Manchester!'
Jo Wilkinson - Producer - Flipbook Studio
Andrew Lord - Creative - Flipbook Studio
Ben Haworth - Creative - Flipbook Studio
Chris Jennings - Designer - Manchester City Council Communications Team
Craig Green - Designer - Manchester City Council Communications Team
Sarah Teague - Assistant Marketing Manager - Manchester City Council Communications Team
