“Grandpa’s magic trick” is an award-winning commercial for Norwegian airlines Widerøe. The ad celebrates the sense of wonder about flying and will make your heart melt.
The very first shot – a portrait of a cute little boy with puzzled expression on his face – leaves the viewer guessing: so what is grandpa’s trick?
In the interview for Adweek ad’s copywriter Stein Simonsen and art director Torstein Greni said: “every magic trick has an element of surprise, but maybe this story has two. There’s the trick itself, and then there’s the trick of making the magic relevant to an airline’s frequent flights to remote places.”
The structure of the commercial is simple: 14 close-up action/reaction shots and a wide closing shot.
0:28 – tense moment: music mutes, both grandson and the viewer hold their breath – the magic is about to happen, the question will be answered now (watch it!).
Heartwarming script, fascinating setting, charismatic actors, smart editing, light warm colors and beautiful music – all these elements combined make the video unforgettable.
The juxtaposition between both facial expressions is priceless, and it emphasizes the power emotion can play into a story: the child’s anxious curiosity and desire for just one more trick counters gramp’s look of boredom, almost annoyance over the repeated pleas to repeat the trick. You later realize he’s really just waiting to hear the faint sound of an airplane before doing the trick again, but you have to watch the video a couple of times before picking up on that nuance. Great video. Thanks for sharing it.