VIENNA, AUSTRIA – With ‘Carry the light’, Jung von Matt DONAU tells a deeply human Christmas story for Erste Group – inspired by the most famous journey in the world. At its centre is a small, weak donkey that no one believes in – until he suddenly plays a crucial role in a story that will change the world. It’s a story about compassion, faith and self-belief, told from the perspective of a humble donkey which carries the greatest burden of all.
The campaign will be rolled out across all Erste Group markets, including Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and Serbia. Distribution will be 360°, spanning TVC, print, digital, social media and POS. It went live on 19th November and will run until Christmas 2025.
“Erste’s 2025 Christmas campaign reminds us that hope and gentleness often come from the smallest among us. It’s a story about compassion, determination, and the idea that each of us carries something meaningful to give. In a world like ours, it’s more important than ever to inspire people—to show respect, offer support, and encourage everyone to believe in their own strength,” says Nina Pentek, responsible for the production at Erste Group. “We also want to remind people that no matter how things may seem, they can always find a light within themselves—and that light can make all the difference!”
“With ‘Carry the light,’ we’re telling a prequel for the first time – the story before Christmas,” says Mike Nagy, Managing Director & ECD at Jung von Matt DONAU. “This is a small story with a big heart: a donkey who doesn’t have an easy life becomes the hero of Christmas. This is a story with an emotional core and universal relevance.
“The central challenge was to tell the #believeinyourself message within an emotional, festive context – while standing out from the usual seasonal advertising. ‘Carry the light’ achieves this through an unusual perspective, strong symbolism, and a timeless message: sometimes, it’s the smallest who carry the greatest weight,” he adds.
Together with creative agency Jung von Matt DONAU, Erste Group has become one of Austria’s most valuable and powerful brands. In 2017, it jointly introduced the purpose-driven brand strategy #glaubandich (“believe in yourself”). Since then, Erste’s powerful and emotional storytelling has consistently gained international attention – especially during the Christmas season, when Erste sets emotional highlights across Europe with moving films.
The film was directed by Daniel&Szymon from the production company Arts & Sciences.
Jung von Matt DONAU serves as the lead agency for Erste Group AG as well as Erste Bank and Sparkassen in Austria. Partner agencies in the respective countries of the Erste Group will handle local adaptations and extensions of the Christmas campaign.
CREDITS
Client: Erste Group Bank AG
Chief Brand Officer: Martin Radjaby-Rasset
Head Of Brand & Marketing Erste Bank Croatia: Nina Pentek
Group Brand Management: Daniel Ratzenböck, Juraj Flimel
Agency: Jung Von Matt DONAU
Creative Director: Mike Nagy
Copywriters: Mike Nagy, Eva Zefferer, Anka Buche, Daniel Schäfer
Art Directors: Lea Vukovics, Paulina Sadlo, Szymon Rose
Account Director: Michael Draxler
Account Manager: Corina Berger
Production: Arts & Sciences (London)
Directors: Daniel & Szymon
Edit: Work Editorial
Post: Untold Studios
Colour: Company 3
Sounddesign: Factory Studios
Music: KO Music
