A firefly and his buddies save the holidays in this sweet animated tale

Brazilian banking group Bradesco offers up a heartwarming end-of-year animation, the charming tale of a firefly who leaves the countryside for the big city. 

Created by Publicis Brasil and produced by Zombie Studios, the animation shows the firefly leaving his rural home, lighting up the dark, charming a little girl and traveling to a city. There, he goes unnoticed among the other bright lights and with the residents distracted by their phones, restaurant menus and more. Just when he's feeling lonely and full of despair, he finds his raison d'etre when a blackout means that the town Christmas tree can't be switched on, joining with the other fireflies to create a string of Christmas lights. It ends with the tagline: "2019. You Make It Happen."

The film aims to spread a message about diversity and inclusion, says Bradesco marketing director Marcio Parizotto. "The narrative translates the feelings common to those who face new challenges in search for their own space, their own spark", he adds. 

The soundtrack, a cover of "Beautiful," by Christina Aguilera, is performed by drag queen Gloria Groove, the stage name of Daniel Garcia, who has over 111 million views on Youtube.  Over 100 people were involved in the short film's production, many of them Brazilians who live abroad and have worked for major animation studios such as Disney and Sony.