Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, in a press release that its campaign sets a new benchmark for innovation in the travel and cruise industry. Production partner nmatic.ai, one of the world’s first Hybrid AI creative production studios, in collaboration with Blunt House, was working on the campaign. The commercial was directed by five-time Emmy Award-winning director Jonathan Jones.
All the people presented at work are real, and artificial intelligence is selectively used to increase scale, flexibility, and efficiency behind the scenes. The campaign aims to differentiate Fred. Olsen in the competitive cruise market by focusing on something less tangible than destinations or amenities: the emotional experience of sailing with the brand.
One of the campaign’s most notable technical achievements is what is being described as the world’s largest artificial intelligence digital twin of a single object – Fred Olsen’s cruise ship. Created by nmatic.ai, the digital twin serves as a virtual replica that can be reused and adapted in a variety of locations, from Arctic Norway to the Mediterranean. This approach allows the brand to be more flexible in modeling future campaigns while reducing the need for repeated physical shoots.
Blunt House founder Louise Connolly says: “From the very beginning, this campaign was never about technology for technology’s sake. It was about capturing something far more human.”
Five-time Emmy Award winner Jonathan Jones directs the campaign’s flagship television commercial. It introduces viewers to Fred. Olsen’s fictional “Chief Alchemist”, who distils the ingredients that create ‘The Fred. Olsen feeling’ into a miniature ship in a bottle. The narrative then shifts into the real world, showing guests experiencing that same feeling onboard.
Holly Goddard, head of brand at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “Our aim with this campaign was to bring to life the distinctive feeling our guests associate with sailing with Fred. Olsen.”
“By combining thoughtful storytelling with new creative technologies, we’ve been able to explore fresh ways of bringing that feeling to life, while staying true to who we are as a brand,” added Goddard.
Nick Price, founder and CEO of nmatic.ai, said: “It was a real pleasure to produce this work with Hybrid AI workflows. We aimed to use the right tool for the right part of the shoot, and our approach sees live action, CGI, and AI interwoven subtly throughout the films and the stills.”
The campaign first aired over Christmas on ITV1 in a prime-time TV spot and will run on national television until the end of February 2026. As part of a year-long sponsorship, the campaign will also feature in bespoke idents for Channel 4’s Escapism programming blocks.
In addition to creative storytelling, the campaign is positioned as a statement about how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used responsibly in the work of a premium brand. Depending on the balance of traditional production and AI-enabled workflows, hybrid AI can deliver content up to 5 times faster while saving up to 70% on costs.
According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, 30% of digital video ads in the US and Europe already use generative AI, and this number is predicted to grow to 39% by 2026.
As brands across sectors continue to test how artificial intelligence fits with creative production, Fred Olsen’s campaign offers a glimpse into a hybrid future where efficiency, craftsmanship, and storytelling are not mutually exclusive but increasingly independent.
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