Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines launches industry-first 'Hybrid AI' campaign

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has today unveiled an industry-first advertising campaign created using Hybrid AI, a production approach that fuses human-led creative disciplines with generative AI technologies.

Developed in collaboration with Blunt House, with production led by nmatic.ai, the campaign aims to differentiate Fred. Olsen in a competitive cruise market by focusing on something less tangible than destinations or amenities: the emotional experience of sailing with the brand.

Rather than positioning AI as a replacement for traditional production, the project uses a Hybrid AI model that blends live-action filming, CGI, photography, and generative AI. All people featured in the work are real, with AI used selectively to enhance scale, flexibility and efficiency behind the scenes.

One of the campaign's most notable technical achievements is the creation of what is described as the world's largest AI digital twin of a single object: a Fred. Olsen cruise ship. Built by nmatic.ai, the digital twin serves as a virtual replica that can be reused and adapted across locations from Arctic Norway to the Mediterranean. The approach allows the brand to model future campaigns more flexibly, while reducing the need for repeated physical shoots.

Blunt House founder Louise Connolly says: "From the very beginning, this campaign was never about technology for technology's sake. It was about capturing something far more human."

Five-time Emmy Award winner Jonathan Jones directs the campaign's flagship television commercial. It introduces viewers to Fred. Olsen's fictional "Chief Alchemist", who distils the ingredients that create 'The Fred. Olsen feeling' into a miniature ship in a bottle. The narrative then shifts into the real world, showing guests experiencing that same feeling onboard.

The film first aired during prime time on Christmas Day on ITV1 and will continue running until the end of February 2026. As part of a year-long sponsorship, the campaign will also feature in bespoke idents for Channel 4's Escapism programming blocks.

Beyond creative storytelling, the campaign is positioned as a statement on how AI can be used responsibly within premium brand work. Depending on the balance between traditional production and AI-assisted workflows, Hybrid AI can deliver content up to 5 times faster while driving cost savings of up to 70%. According to figures from the Interactive Advertising Bureau, 30% of digital video ads in the US and Europe already use generative AI, a figure projected to rise to 39% in 2026.

Commenting on the campaign, Holly Goddard, head of brand at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines says, "Our aim with this campaign was simple: to bring to life the distinctive feeling our guests associate with sailing with Fred. Olsen.

"By combining thoughtful storytelling with new creative technologies, we've been able to explore fresh ways of bringing that feeling to life, while staying true to who we are as a brand."

Nick Price, founder and CEO of nmatic.ai, added: "It was a real pleasure to produce this work with Hybrid AI workflows.

"We aimed to use the right tool for the right part of the shoot, and our approach sees live action, CGI and AI interwoven subtly throughout the films and the stills."

As brands across sectors continue to test how AI fits into creative production, Fred. Olsen's campaign offers a glimpse of a hybrid future where efficiency, craft and storytelling are not mutually exclusive, but increasingly interdependent.