WhatsApp End of Year Films

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are the busiest days on WhatsApp where we send the most messages around the world. So, it was especially important for our Brand to have a voice in this moment. WhatsApp takes viewers around the globe on New Year’s Eve to tell the world that, “It’s not the New Year until you get the message you’ve been waiting for.”

The First Film: ONE.
The campaign finds its roots in celebrating the global diversity of WhatsApp’s audience and their collective feelings of languish. After nearly two years of the pandemic, some of the magic of the year’s biggest moments started to fade and New Year’s Eve — the yearly moment of starting fresh all over the world and using WhatsApp to connect with loved ones — has lost its lustre.  But no matter when the clock strikes midnight, the only thing that really matters is sharing that New Year’s exchange. That’s why a message can be just as meaningful earlier in the day or 3am the next day. So as we headed into 2022, WhatsApp wanted users to celebrate the moment that really starts the new year because… “It’s not the New Year until you get the message you’ve been waiting for.”

The timely story, directed by Cannes Lions winner Niclas Larsson and shot by Oscar winner cinematographer Linus Sandgren takes our shared feeling of waiting to move forward and transforms it into a world-stopping reminder that New Year’s is about our connections to the people who matter most to us.

“New Year’s Eve is one of the few collective, global moments and so it was important to use that work to be inspired by a truly universal insight. In each format, from 6 seconds to well over 3 minutes, we set out to capture the essence of what it feels like to receive the message you’ve been waiting for. And while the work may take us across the globe, the team worked tirelessly to craft a visual world where each of our heroes is the main character of their own night.”

The Second film: FAMILY DIARY.
Family stands by us at all times—through thick and thin. And even in a really tough year like this, where we had to stay apart from the people we love the most, it’s the bond we shared that got us through. WhatsApp New Year’s hero film, A Family Diary, reflects the ups and downs of 2020 through the lens of WhatsApp messages and highlights the important connecting role we played in our users' lives - a role that was further amplified this year beyond what we could have ever imagined, as we have all been separated from our loved ones.

We wanted to tell the story of 2020 in a way that was real, honest and moving and that reinforced the message that what kept us close got us through what has been a monumental year. The campaign was created in partnership with BBDO Berlin and Almap BBDO and it’s on Social globally and On Platform in Brazil, UK, and US (Spanish speaking).

The Third Film: FIREWORKS WITHIN.
This film illustrates WhatsApp’s unique role in helping people have private conversations during the most universally shared cultural moment of the calendar year. While many enjoy the parties, the noise, being up at midnight and fireworks, for most people the emotional reset of the New Year isn't about midnight or raising another glass. It's the moment they connect with the people that matter most via private texts and calls that bring us closer together. WhatsApp repeatedly sets records for the amount of text messages and calls on New Year’s Eve, as people turn to the app to reach the ones that matter most.

This year’s campaign shows these “Fireworks Within” that touch on the way people feel when having a private 1-1 or group call during the holiday. The importance of personal connections is brought to life in a powerfully emotional 90’’ film, directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, at MJZ.