Hästens Lunar New Year

The film follows a young boy invited to visit the original Hästens factory in Köping, Sweden, where his family is welcomed to take a glimpse into the magical world of the Hastens factory. As the story unfolds, Blamir, Hästens' mascot, becomes a guiding presence throughout, glimpsed in footprints and in the night sky, until the boy is woken one night by Blamir flying over the village they are visiting.

Cartel led the project from storyboard development through to final delivery, taking in narrative direction, creative direction, technical advising, 3D character design, animation and sound design. The team behind it was just as global, drawing talent from South America, Europe, South Korea and South Africa. That reach let Cartel bring together the best people for the job regardless of where they sat, working toward a story built for an audience spread just as wide.

The overall art style is cinematic and nostalgic. The illustration work paid an incredible amount of attention to detail, reflecting this core value of the Hastens brand. The characters had to be kept warm and expressive in animation, so finding the right amount of detail for them was part of our process.

Motion followed the cinematic feel of the design, with pull-through zooms and considered pans that move like a live-action shoot and draw the viewer fully into the factory, the feast, and the moment with Blamir rather than simply showing it to them. That classic, cinematic approach to shot choice was a deliberate nod to Hästens itself, a traditional, generations-old brand whose craft called for filmmaking that felt just as considered and timeless.

To get the movement for Blamir to feel controlled and premium, we had to create him in 3D.  Blamir had never been designed with 3D in mind, so extensive R&D time was spent getting the signature Hastens chequered pattern to wrap and move seamlessly. Once that was accomplished, ensuring the 3D Blamir then felt just as much a part of our 2D illustration world required some masterful compositing.

Four supporting shorts extend the world beyond the main story, each one a smaller piece of Hästens lore. Each reveals the details and side stories the family doesn't get to see in the film itself and built to live alongside it across social.

Together, the film and shorts gave Hästens a way to mark one of its most important cultural moments with a story built for its global audience, rooted in craft and carried by character.

Together, the film and shorts gave Hästens a way to mark one of its most important cultural moments with a story built for its global audience, rooted in craft and carried by character.