This festive season, Grand Millennium Dubai reimagines the magic of the holidays through an enchanting new campaign film, “See the Season Through a Child’s Eyes.”
The short film, created entirely with AI-generated visuals, invites audiences on a nostalgic journey where imagination takes the lead and the spirit of the season unfolds through the wonder of a child. As the story begins, a young boy steps into Grand Millennium Hotel Dubai – and suddenly, the familiar becomes fantastical. The hotel transforms into a dreamlike world of joy, light, and togetherness, where Christmas sparkles with possibility and every moment feels touched by magic.
“The festive season is a time of joy, connection, and reflection – and this year, we wanted to express that in a way that felt both deeply human and boldly innovative. Through this AI-generated film, we’ve blended technology with emotion to remind everyone of the wonder we often lose as adults. At Grand Millennium Hotel Dubai, we believe the true spirit of hospitality lies in moments that touch the heart – and this campaign is exactly that: a celebration of magic, imagination, and togetherness,” says Peter Mukanyima, Marketing & E-Commerce Manager, Grand Millennium Hotel Dubai.
The campaign was in collaboration with agency, Rubix, who supported the process from the initial idea to final execution and ensured that the AI-driven visuals reflected the warmth and nostalgia the hotel wanted to achieve. It was shared across all Grand Millennium Dubai owned platforms including the hotel website, social media channels, email newsletters and in-hotel digital screens.
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Seeing the season through a child’s eyes
The creative direction of the film is rooted in emotion rather than extravagance. In a world where festive storytelling often leans on spectacle, Grand Millennium Hotel Dubai takes a more heartfelt route, focusing on how the season feels, not merely how it looks. Through the child’s eyes, we’re reminded of that pure sense of awe and warmth that defines the holidays: when Santa was real, the lights seemed brighter, and every celebration felt infinite.
“The inspiration came from a simple truth: Christmas feels different when you experience it through a child’s eyes. We wanted to remind Dubai of that feeling. As adults, we often move through the season too quickly, but a child sees only magic, warmth and possibility. The campaign encourages everyone to reconnect with their inner child and rediscover the joy that defines the holidays. Our message is that at Grand Millennium Dubai the festive season is not just celebrated, it is felt,” says Mukanyima.
By merging AI innovation with nostalgic imagery, the hotel creates a visual language that bridges tradition and modernity.
A Christmas film inspired by childhood wonder
The campaign took inspiration from holiday films, especially Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, where a young Macaulay Culkin, playing Kevin McCallister, enters The Plaza Hotel for the very first time. The way Kevin walks in, slows down and looks up at the towering Christmas tree, the garlands, the chandeliers and the glittering festive décor captures the pure wonder of a child seeing Christmas in its most magical form.
“In those scenes, the hotel becomes a dreamlike world for him. The decorations feel larger than life, every detail feels enchanted and his expressions remind us of how we all viewed Christmas when we were young. The lights seemed brighter, the hotel felt grander and even the smallest ornament felt like a piece of magic,” says Mukanyima.
He adds, “That childlike sense of awe became our creative anchor. We wanted our guests to experience that same feeling when they step into Grand Millennium Dubai and to reconnect with the excitement they once felt as children during the festive season.”
Every frame, from Santa’s visit and Toshi’s festive feasts to the glittering New Year’s Eve fireworks, captures both the grandeur of the hotel and the intimacy of shared joy. It’s a film designed not just to be watched, but to be felt.
“Our focus was to spread festive joy to the entire city – to create a moment where Dubai collectively paused, smiled, and felt that warm sense of magic again. Beyond that emotional goal, the campaign aimed to strengthen brand affinity, increase festive season footfall, and reinforce the hotel as a destination for family-centered celebrations. The emotional strength of the film was powerful on its own, and our goal was to let the story travel organically through our platforms and guest community,” says Mukanyima.
For Grand Millennium Dubai, this campaign represents a bold creative evolution. After years of classic festive visuals, the hotel sought to tell a story that felt both timeless and future-forward. The use of AI allowed the team to visualise the holidays not as they appear, but as they are remembered – filtered through emotion, imagination, and childlike wonder.
How Grand Millennium Dubai’s AI film resonated with audiences
One of the most notable insights from this campaign was how strongly AI-driven content resonated with the audience. The AI festive reel attracted significantly higher engagement compared to our traditional seasonal posts. It also saw strong interest from younger demographics and even new international audiences who do not typically interact with the hotels content. Another surprising element was the high watch-through rate, which showed that the creative storytelling held viewers’ attention from start to finish.
The campaign delivered strong results in terms of visibility and engagement, indicating high awareness and positive sentiment. On LinkedIn it garnered 38K impressions, 250+ engagement, 126 clicks and on Instagram it got 16K impressions, 10K reach, 117 engagement.
The result is a cinematic tribute to the heart of the season: connection, nostalgia, and the rediscovery of joy.
