Chick-fil-A’s holiday campaign returns on November 9 with a new animated short film and interactive web experience to encourage viewers to embrace what’s wonderful inside of life’s unexpected and imperfect moments.
In this year’s film, Sam, the main character in the 2020 and 2019 holiday films, returns for a new adventure in the whimsical, newly-revealed town of Evergreen Hills, this time with her friend, CeCe. A Christmas decorating mishap leads the two girls to The Whoopsery, a bakery where every kitchen mix-up is transformed into an extraordinary treat. It’s in The Whoopsery that the girls learn sometimes the unexpected can be the start of something wonderful. The two-minute film launches digitally on November 9 on EvergreenHills.com, debuts on-air Thanksgiving Day on NBC and will continue to run on television and in movie theaters through Christmas Eve.
“This time of year can be full of unrealistic expectations,” says Ashley Callahan, senior director of integrated creative at Chick-fil-A, Inc. “From picking out the perfect tree, to serving the perfect meal, to answering the question, ‘What traditions am I creating for my family?’–the list goes on and on. We want to encourage people to see all the messy, not social media worthy, real-life experiences as opportunities to embrace all of it and not miss the wonderful moments we’re in with the people we love. We hope this year’s film will inspire more people to find joy when things don’t go as planned and, to steal a line from our new favorite baker, turn ‘whoops into wonderful.’”
Chick-fil-A invites guests to visit EvergreenHills.com where, for a limited time, they can enjoy The Whoopsery. Through an interactive digital experience, guests will have the opportunity to give a recipe card to someone special and enjoy one for themselves, too. The printed recipe card features a Peppermint Milkshake Pie recipe and a sweet surprise—an offer to redeem a free, seasonal Peppermint Chip Milkshake, available at participating Chick-fil-A restaurants while supplies last. At no cost to participants, Chick-fil-A will mail the recipe cards directly to the home addresses entered on the website. Once the printed recipe cards with free offers run out, The Whoopsery web experience will shift to offering digital-only recipe cards that people can e-mail to friends and family.
Set in the animated wonderland of Evergreen Hills, this year marks the third chapter of Sam’s story. Viewers are invited alongside Sam’s holiday adventure as she learns new ways to overcome challenges and helps inspire her family, friends and community to take care of each other in simple ways. From 2019, highlighting the importance of quality time with her family, to 2020, where Sam set out to inspire hope in her town that seemed to have lost its spark, this year’s film demonstrates how to turn life’s unexpected moments into something wonderful. Sam’s story is just getting started and will continue to unfold in the coming years.
