Thanks to the pandemic, much of Air New Zealand's fleet of aircraft was grounded until quite recently since 2020. So it's fitting that the airline's holiday ad this year mirrors that experience with Santa Claus.

The two minute spot revolves around a little girl who discovers Santa outside her home after his reindeer bolted. She sets out on a voyage to help him and they discover the sleigh at the airport (where else?). Some security rules are no doubt breached, but Santa is helped on his way again and there's a feelgood ending, accompanied by the tagline "There's magic in the air." The charming soundtrack is a te reo Māori version of Silent Night, featuring a translation written specially for the campaign.

The spot was created by Sydney agency Montoya, and directed by Josh Frizzell via Reel Factory. It's running on TV and in cinemas in New Zealand, and on social media globally.