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American Greetings “What It Means to Love” 2018

American Greetings “What It Means to Love” (2018) is an American Greetings commercial for Mullen. It won one award: Cannes Lions 2018 Film Bronze.

This ad shows various people struggling to express their feelings, only to find that a greeting card helps them convey their deepest emotions and strengthen their relationships.

Video: MullenLowe Global on YouTube

Shot by shot

  1. A young woman with long dark hair, wearing a white hoodie, stands in a kitchen, looking distressed and gesturing with her hands.© American Greetings0:00
  2. A middle-aged man sits on a bed next to an elderly man, both looking downcast in a sunlit bedroom.© American Greetings0:04
  3. A young woman in a white shirt sits on a bed, looking concerned, as a man walks away down a hallway.© American Greetings0:18
  4. A middle-aged man in a plaid shirt looks down at something, while an older man is visible in the background, in a warm-toned room.© American Greetings0:21
  5. A woman with gray hair and a red cardigan opens a white door, revealing a message written on the wall next to it.© American Greetings0:34
  6. Two women in athletic wear run down a suburban street with houses and trees on either side, under a bright sky with distant mountains.© American Greetings0:40
  7. Two women in athletic wear stretch and recover from a run on a suburban street, with one looking up at the sky.© American Greetings0:45
  8. A young person with short dark hair and a floral shirt leans over a stove, then serves noodles onto plates in a kitchen.© American Greetings0:50
  9. A person with short hair in a floral shirt serves food to another person at a kitchen counter, looking surprised.© American Greetings0:52
  10. A female police officer and a male firefighter talk in a kitchen, while two children are seen from behind in the foreground.© American Greetings0:57
  11. A female police officer hugs a young girl with curly hair in a kitchen, while a male firefighter watches them from across the counter.© American Greetings0:59
  12. A person's hands hold an open greeting card with a handwritten message, revealing a heartfelt note inside, in a warm, intimate setting.© American Greetings1:05

Stills © American Greetings. Made by Mullen.

Every shot, full-quality frames and clips, and search across every commercial. Free account.

The idea

Greeting cards help people express deep emotions when words alone are not enough.

Tagline: “#GiveMeaning with a card.”

struggling to communicatehidden messageseveryday heroesintergenerational bondsfound familythe power of written word

The cut

Length
84 s
Shots
24
Average shot
3.5 s

What creatives use American Greetings “What It Means to Love” for

  1. 01Reference frames for your treatment

    Pitching something with the feel of American Greetings “What It Means to Love”? A screenshot from a video player won't hold up in a deck.

    Download any frame of this spot at full quality, with its credits, or search every spot for the same look.

    A young woman with long dark hair, wearing a white hoodie, stands in a kitchen, looking distressed and gesturing with her hands.© American GreetingsA middle-aged man sits on a bed next to an elderly man, both looking downcast in a sunlit bedroom.© American GreetingsA young woman in a white shirt sits on a bed, looking concerned, as a man walks away down a hallway.© American GreetingsA middle-aged man in a plaid shirt looks down at something, while an older man is visible in the background, in a warm-toned room.© American Greetings
    Frames from American Greetings “What It Means to Love”

  2. 02Shot list example: how it was cut

    You need the structure of a great spot, shot by shot, for your storyboard.

    Every shot of American Greetings “What It Means to Love” in order, with its length, framing and what happens in it.

    A young woman with long dark hair, wearing a white hoodie, stands in a kitchen, looking distressed and gesturing with her hands.© American GreetingsA middle-aged man sits on a bed next to an elderly man, both looking downcast in a sunlit bedroom.© American GreetingsA young woman in a white shirt sits on a bed, looking concerned, as a man walks away down a hallway.© American GreetingsA middle-aged man in a plaid shirt looks down at something, while an older man is visible in the background, in a warm-toned room.© American GreetingsA woman with gray hair and a red cardigan opens a white door, revealing a message written on the wall next to it.© American GreetingsTwo women in athletic wear run down a suburban street with houses and trees on either side, under a bright sky with distant mountains.© American Greetings
    Length: 84 s · Shots: 24 · Average shot: 3.5 s

  3. 03Ad ideas: every spot built on a hidden messages

    Before you present an idea, you need to know who has done it, and how.

    American Greetings “What It Means to Love” is built on a hidden messages. Search the library by idea to see every spot that uses it.

    Whirlpool “Dad & Andy”© WhirlpoolPlayStation 2 “Signs”© PlayStation 2Budweiser “Lyrics”© BudweiserNetflix “Inside Job - Titles”© Netflix
    Whirlpool · PlayStation 2 · Budweiser · Netflix

More from Mullen

  • Monster.com "When I Grow Up" (1999) commercial still© Monster.comMonster.com “When I Grow Up” 1999Dir. Bryan Buckley · MullenANDY Awards 2000
  • Fage "Plain" (2012) commercial still© FageFage “Plain” 2012Dir. PSYOP · MullenAICP Awards Honoree 2012
  • Cozone.com "Pottery" (2000) commercial still© Cozone.comCozone.com “Pottery” 2000Dir. Lemoine.Miller · MullenANDY Awards Distinction 2000
  • Scotts "Surrounded" (2023) commercial still© ScottsScotts “Surrounded” 2023Dir. MAMA · Mullen

Award-winning retail commercials

Questions

Which agency made American Greetings “What It Means to Love”?

Mullen created it for American Greetings (2018).

What awards did American Greetings “What It Means to Love” win?

1 awards, including Cannes Lions 2018 Film Bronze.

What is the tagline of American Greetings “What It Means to Love”?

“#GiveMeaning with a card.”

Sources for the credits and awards

The WorkThe Work