This American Red Cross holiday ad about a child's love of snow takes an unexpected turn

A new PSA for the American Red Cross turns a heartwarming holiday ad about a kid who longs for snow into something much darker. The film, titled “Snowfall,” focuses on an adorable little girl pining for snow. One fateful morning, she seems to get her wish, but when she heads outside to enjoy the snowfall, she notices the “snowflakes” aren’t snowflakes at all, but ash raining down from her neighbor’s burning home. The spot concludes by reminding us that disasters still happen during the holidays, so the American Red Cross remains on call at all times. The ad was created by BBDO New York and directed by Martin Stirling at Partizan. It will run on TV as a PSA, as well as paid media for four weeks beginning Dec. 1 on Hulu, NBCU, Roku and other digital platforms via pre-roll. “Holiday ads have become all too predictable," said Roberto Danino, SVP creative director at BBDO New York, in a statement. "As a result, people have come to expect sweet wintertime stories, usually featuring a child, and a melancholy acoustic guitar track. We wanted to play with those expectations and surprise people, reminding them that not all holiday stories are the same and moving them to donate to those experiencing disasters at this time of the year.”

This American Red Cross holiday ad about a child's love of snow takes an unexpected turn

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