Bringing Summer to Winter: AI and Analog Magic in Verum's Latest Ad

NEWNEW had the honor of producing Norrmejerier's latest commercial for their Verum product. The concept, developed by agency Bloomy Ideas, was compelling yet challenging: a small piece of forest from northern Sweden travels across the country to deliver Verum's delicious products directly to people's breakfast tables. The technical challenge: how do you create a film in the middle of January that authentically conveys a summer journey through northern Sweden?

Try New Things was brought in to provide a creative solution, and the team turned to AI - not as a creative shortcut, but as a practical production tool. The result was a unique combination of analog craftsmanship and real natural materials enhanced by the latest AI-based technology.

We spoke with the team behind the production: Linus Johansson and Pär Olofsson from Try New Things, and the CEO of NEWNEW, Bo Thorp.

"We need to film a summer north of Sweden in January"

The director collective from Try New Things, have for many years worked at the intersection of traditional filmmaking and emerging technologies. Their deep experience in both classic

storytelling and innovative tech solutions made them ideal partners for this unique challenge.

"When Bloomy Ideas approached us with this concept, we knew we needed to think beyond conventional solutions," explains Linus Johansson from Try New Things. "Using stock images wouldn't provide the cohesive and controlled visual experience the brand needed."

"A full 3D production was another option, but risked feeling unnatural - which would undermine Verum's authentic brand identity."

With budget considerations in mind, the team developed a hybrid approach: combining AI-generated environments with analog technology and real organic materials.

"We wanted to preserve the organic feeling and use AI where it truly added value," says Linus Johansson. "The goal wasn't to create something that looked AI-generated, but something that felt as authentic as if we'd filmed during actual summer."

AI through the lens of a camera

The technical solution was ingenious in its simplicity: film the organic material and products mounted on chain pulleys, while using virtual backgrounds with LED screen projections. To achieve a realistic output, they filmed the foregrounds in focus while keeping backgrounds soft - effectively smoothing out any unwanted AI artifacts that might otherwise distract viewers.

"We wanted to maintain a traditional cinematic language," says Pär Olofsson. "The audience shouldn't be thinking about the technology - they should be immersed in the story of these natural elements journeying across Sweden."

To create the final film, they orchestrated four different software programs, including tools for transforming still images into moving footage and enhancing image resolution, alongside classic production tools like Photoshop and Premiere Pro.

Both Linus and Pär emphasize the importance of using AI with clear purpose rather than for its own sake. "We chose AI because the budget didn't allow us to film scenes across the entire country in summer conditions," Linus explains. "The technology had to add something meaningful to the production - in this case, creating summer in the middle of winter while maintaining the authentic feel that's central to Verum's brand."

Beyond the "Magic Button" Myth: Rethinking Creative Workflows

The production highlights an important aspect of the ongoing AI discussion that Try New Things frequently addresses in their work. Many believe that AI is simply about pressing a button to get a finished result. In reality, it's a complex process requiring multiple tools, techniques, and considerable expertise - but more importantly, it demands an entirely new approach to production workflows.

"When you work with AI, it's not just about new tools but new processes," says Linus Johansson. "The traditional production process of linear feedback and approvals isn't optimal anymore. These new technologies open up more flexible and dynamic possibilities, but often we're stuck in old ways of thinking that limit our creativity."

Traditional film production typically divides work into sequential steps: first storyboarding, then casting, location scouting, set dressing, styling, establishing photo look and feel, composition, and so on. With AI-generated imagery, these elements converge in a single step - one generated image contains decisions about all these aspects simultaneously. This fundamentally changes how feedback and iterations need to work.

"In a traditional workflow, you might approve the storyboard before moving to location scouting, then approve locations before discussing set design," explains Pär. "With AI tools, clients and agency partners need to provide feedback on multiple production aspects at once. It's more holistic but can be challenging if you're used to the step-by-step approach."

Try New Things sees this workflow evolution as an exciting frontier. "We're curious to figure out new workflows and processes together with clients and agencies who want to explore new ways of working," Linus adds. "That was an important learning from this project - the technology itself is just one piece of the puzzle. How we collaborate around these tools is equally important."

This perspective reflects Try New Things' approach as a creative tech collective - seeing technology not as a replacement for human creativity but as a catalyst for reimagining the entire creative process. Their background in traditional filmmaking gives them a unique perspective on how to integrate new tools while maintaining cinematic quality.

The Future of Creative Production

New production methods like those employed in this project open up possibilities for ideas that were previously impossible to execute due to practical or budgetary constraints. Many creative concepts are limited not by imagination but by what seems practically achievable.

"In the past, creating a scene on the moon, underwater, or a mountaintop required enormous resources," says Linus. "Now these environments are within reach for productions at various budget levels. The key is knowing when and how to apply these tools effectively."

Linus points out that despite these new technologies, the creative workflow fundamentally remains the same. "As a director, I've always 'prompted' with my team - discussing ideas with set designers, cinematographers, and animators. AI is simply another tool in this collaborative process. From a creative leadership perspective, the methodology remains unchanged."

Together with Pär, Linus has an interesting outlook on the future, emphasizing that the industry must adapt to new distribution possibilities. In the future, production companies won't just create a single film but multiple versions tailored to different audiences at different times. Instead of making one edit we can help clients build branded story worlds from which multiple outputs can be generated on demand.

A Successful Collaboration

Bo Thorp, CEO of NEWNEW, adds: "This was a great collaboration with the advertising agency Bloomy Ideas, Try New Things, and Norrmejerier. This is exactly the kind of project that NEWNEW is passionate about. We were founded to challenge how film is produced, questioning everything through our 'AI-first filter' while keeping storytelling at the center."

"Exploring new ways of creating is essential to meet industry demands and budgets," Thorp continues. "Our goal is to create engaging, high-quality content that resonates with audiences while delivering on creative vision - regardless of practical constraints like shooting summer scenes in the middle of winter."

The Verum commercial stands as a testament to what's possible when creative vision meets thoughtful application of technology - creating authentic, natural storytelling despite seemingly impossible production challenges.