This charming look behind the scenes gives just a taste of the magic it took to create Coca-Cola’s Year of the Rabbit. Reuniting with many of the artists from last year’s Tiger film, we had a blast exploring our fuzzy heroes and their macro worlds.

Yves heightens the film’s underlying message through contrast and a macro lens, pulling us down into the rabbit’s perspective while deftly juxtaposing Chinese-inspired landscapes and fine details. The soft, organic touch of Grandma’s traditional home stands in stark contrast to the hard angularity of Grandson’s modern one, yet there’s a surprising warmth brought in by the lighting that helps them feel connected. This warm lighting is crucial so that neither traditional nor modern is seen as better than the other, reinforcing the overall theme that the same love lives underneath all our differences.

The tactility this year is much more natural and pronounced in this macro world. Even when placed inside the urban cityscape, we can feel the texture of the natural materials: the different grains in the wood and stone walls; the ridges of carrots; the slick condensation on Coca-Cola bottles. All of these natural textures combine to create rich worlds that invoke our senses with their familiarity.

The Binggou Danxia, a renowned Chinese vista of stone outcroppings surrounded by grassy plains, was the perfect inspiration for our environment. The landform’s features couldn’t be more different, yet you can’t have one without the other. The perfect setting for two worlds to collide!

We see this nod to the past in the food, as well, alongside contrast to further illustrate our theme of the old and new worlds uniting. The time-honored dumplings made by Grandma are served in a traditional bamboo steamer, unadorned and simple – the way they should be. Surrounding the dumplings, the elegantly plated modern food is a feast for the eyes. Yet the same ingredients are used for both. Once again we see that we are all the same, even if we at first appear different.

Our master of sound, Ambrose Yu, returns! We were thrilled to once again have Ambrose compose the score and layer in compelling sound effects to tell our Lunar New Year story. His attention to detail and thoughtful approach adds a finesse that blends beautifully, building and releasing tension for a catharsis that is unexpected yet fully satisfying.