This entry is a short animated film entitled "Lily & the Snowman." It launched Cineplex's new brand platform "See the Big Picture."

Great brands are anchored in a higher purpose. For Cineplex – the largest theatre chain and one of the largest entertainment companies in the country – that purpose is helping Canadians put the necessary emphasis on leisure. Our objective was to inspire people to "prioritize pleasure" by making Cineplex their primary choice for entertainment and, along the way, create love for the Cineplex brand.

The pressure to be productive is relentless. We're always on, always accessible, always checking our phones. But one place we can focus, with no phones or distractions, is the movies. Cineplex is a place of pure entertainment. It's where we can get away and truly block the world out.

Out of this insight we created the new brand Platform "See The Big Picture."

At once a figurative reminder to take a moment from life's rigours to reflect on what you love to do while also a literal call to action only Cineplex can make – not Netflix, not Apple TV.

To launch the platform, we wrote a story about rediscovering the importance of entertainment in your life. For many, this joy was first discovered during childhood, before life became so demanding. Written and produced with the intention of being as entertaining as Cineplex itself, we created a short animated film that told a parable of entertainment in a woman's life, from childhood to adulthood.

"Lily and the Snowman" is an animated, two‐minute short film about a young woman and a magical snowman. As a child, Lily discovers that her newly built snowman has a talent: he can perform cinematic shadow puppet shows. Wanting to save her friend come spring, Lily safely stows the snowman in a freezer, returning to him each winter. Their relationship grows over the years until, over time, Lily's busy adult life pulls them apart.

Then, one night late at work, Lily is reminded of her snowman friend. She rushes home to retrieve him and enjoys a new show with her daughter.

The film ends with the message "Make time for what you love." The film was released online on Facebook and YouTube on Dec. 15 and features a cover of the Genesis song "Follow You Follow Me" performed by Canadian singer Adaline. It began playing in theatres during pre‐shows on Dec. 18 alongside the release of Star Wars.

Movie posters, trailers, a "Making of" film, social media posts and more supported the film's release.

During its first 12 days (Dec. 15-27), the film greatly exceeded expectations in every category. With a media budget of only $150,000, it received:

• 21.8 million views on Facebook and YouTube.
• Over 600,000 shares on Facebook and YouTube
• Named one of the best Christmas ads of the year by Digital Arts
• Most watched Canadian ad on YouTube in December
• After popular demand, the cover of "Follow You Follow Me" was featured on radio stations and sold on iTunes with all proceeds going towards Free the Children.

Currently, the film has reached over 26 million views. It's received overwhelmingly positive feedback. And many comments illustrate our message and strategy have struck a chord with people across Canada.