Disney's holiday family is back with a new arrival

'Encanto' star Jessica Darrow performs original song in spot that shows the stirrings of sibling jealousy

Published On
Nov 02, 2022

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Disney is back with a third installment in its series of holiday ads following the same family through the years. And the entertainment giant sticks to the winning formula: an emotive soundtrack, a gorgeously animated family story and Mickey Mouse.

We first met the family in Disney's' 2020 spot featuring a Filipino grandmother. Then, last year, the story followed Nicole and her two children, Max and Ella, as new stepdad Mike tried to bond with them. This year, we see the kids, particularly Ella, come to terms with the fact that their mom is going to have a baby. In the run-up to the holiday season, her mom is distracted by the pregnancy, and Ella feels neglected. We see the stirrings of sibling jealousy; however when the baby arrives, she's overwhelmed with love and hands over her glow-in-the-dark soft toy of Mickey Mouse. 

This time around the emotive soundtrack, "A Little More," is performed by Jessica Darrow, star of Disney's 2021 film "Encanto." It was written for the ad by LA-based songwriters Parkwild, aka Sofia Quinn and Rose Tan.   Once again, the film was developed and produced by Disney’s Consumer Products, Gaming & Publishing creative team, led by Angela Affinita, director of brand marketing and creative, in partnership with Flux Animation Studios in New Zealand.

According to Disney, the film took 15 months to create, with around 4,880 hours of animation time. It's packed with 22 Disney "Easter Eggs," including: an Elsa dress and a tea set from "Frozen"; posters for "Encanto" and a Lego "Star Wars" game in the background of scenes; Spider-Man pyjamas; "Lightyear" in the background on TV and more. 

Fans of this campaign will enjoy the latest episode in this sensitively scripted saga, and like before, you might well find yourself welling up at the cuteness. But it seems we won't see the family again though -- according to Disney it's the "final instalment" of "From My Family To Yours."

The ad will run across TV and digital plus Disney’s own channels in 46 countries across Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia.