Small Change

For this special Ramadan campaign, Emirates NBD and Leo Burnett Dubai set a near-impossible challenge: create a world-class animated film from scratch, with the brief arriving after Ramadan had already begun. The entire project, from concept to final delivery, had to be completed in just 25 days.

The story needed to capture the spirit of the holy month, focusing on the importance of giving and the idea that money isn’t everything. The core concept shows how the smallest, kindest acts often bring the most happiness.

To execute it, the Hanzo Films group activated its international network and partnered with the Dutch creative collective Artbox. The animation was entrusted to award-winning Dutch director Marlies Van Der Well, whose distinctive hand-crafted style brought warmth and character to the story, and the film’s emotional depth was amplified by a bespoke score from BAFTA-nominated Dutch composer Lennert Busch.

The project is a testament to agility under extreme pressure and to the group’s ability to deliver rapid-response international animation through its connections to world-class talent.