Proof of Santa – a Zulu app to raise money for charity

Cristina Blanaru Ads, Creativity

Parents no longer have to don awful-smelling red suits or over-indulge in cookies and milk on Christmas Eve to have their kids believe in the magic of Santa, thanks to a cool new app from creative agency Zulu Alpha Kilo and their children’s charitable partner, Make-A-Wish Canada.

Parents can share their kids’ awe of the season when they prove Santa’s existence and show them incredibly believable video footage of Kris Kringle making personal visits to their actual living rooms, using a free app called “Kringl.” The easy-to-use app merges pre-formatted video scenes of Santa drinking milk, checking his list, searching for your child’s gifts, or realizing he is being recorded with video footage of your living room and together recreates the magical story of Santa.

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Available just in time for Christmas, the free app can be downloaded at either the Apple Store or Google Play and can be used on various Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. Parents can use their imagination to create their own personal Christmas video scenes that can also be shared with friends and family on YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. The app is free, but includes the option to donate money for Zulu’s children’s charitable partner, Make-A-Wish Canada.

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First, start by selecting one of five Santa vignettes, then film the living room or whatever location you choose on an iPhone or Android device, and finally, place Santa in the scene to show the kids the magic of his visit. To make it even more believable, parents can easily adjust the lighting and size of jolly old Saint Nick so that he seamlessly fits in the scene. The app is also collecting donations to extend the spirit of the season for other children.

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 Each year since Zulu was founded, we’ve done something as an agency that aims to inspire more creativity in the world while making our society a better place(…) This year, we were inspired to see how we could keep the magical spirit of Christmas alive. To take it a step further, we found a great charitable partner to help raise money for a Canadian children’s charity. Is Santa real? We believe so and now we can help others prove it too.

 Zak Mroueh,

Chief Creative Officer & CEO  Zulu Alpha Kilo

The credits for the app go to Zulu Alpha Kilo’s team including Zak Mroueh – Creative Director, Ari Elkouby – Creative Director / Art Director,  Jeff Vermeersch- Chief Technology Director, Andrea Romanelli, Grant Cleland – Designers, Mooren Bofill – Design Director, Jonathan King & Jerry Brens -writers, Alex Potter – Account Supervisor, Zoe Neuman & Emma Brooks – Strategic Planners, Ola Stodulska – Agency Producer, Jamie Morren – Video. Also, in making the app were also involved Thinking Box and Notch Video – Production House, Troy Graham – Director of Content and Design, Michael Vay Lee – Director Software Development, Curtis Lok-Man Mak – Lead Developer, Yotam Dor – Motion Graphics, Kevin Mak – UI Designer, Pirate Toronto – Audio Production / Scoring, Carrie Jeffels – Director of Production.

Zulu Alpha Kilo is a creative agency based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in July 2008 by Zak Mroueh, world-renowned creative director, the agency has a full-time staff of 65 people. Clients include Audi Canada, Bell Canada, Cineplex Entertainment, Coca-Cola Canada, Interac Association, Corona, Service Inspired Restaurants and Workopolis. Everyone in the company belongs to one company-wide creative group, and free-spirited, collaborative ideation is one of the agency’s core principles.