A timeless story told with tomorrow’s technology

The burger industry was experiencing a perfect storm. Several major competitors had gone bankrupt, and the burger’s popularity was under attack from various quarters. In this shaky landscape, Bastard Burgers needed to reclaim the narrative and demonstrate that the burger wasn’t just a modern fast-food trend or a McDonald’s invention, but a food with deep historical roots spanning centuries.

The challenge was twofold: create a compelling historical narrative that would span from the 1200s to the present day, while working within budget constraints that wouldn’t allow for large-scale historical production. The story needed to cover medieval origins, Hamburg in the 1800s, world wars, stock market crashes, and a pandemic. A truly epic scope.

We recognized that emerging AI technology could be the key to making this ambitious vision feasible. By leveraging AI tools, we could create historical scenes and periods that would be prohibitively expensive with traditional production methods, while maintaining creative control over every aspect of the storytelling.

The project was a perfect fit for Gabardin who always strive to push creative boundaries. The project allowed us to stress test the potential of AI in commercial storytelling, aligning perfectly with our commitment to staying at the forefront of new techniques and tools.

We developed “Burgarens Historia” (The History of the Burger) – a film that blends authentic historical research with playful nods to contemporary culture. Working closely with Bastard Burgers, we crafted a script that takes viewers on a journey from the 1200s all the way to modern times.

The entire production was realized using AI technology. We worked in a combination of several different models to be able to create, all images and voiceover (except the final scene), allowing us to create historically accurate yet visually stunning content across multiple time periods and locations.

This AI-first approach enabled us to iterate quickly, experiment with different visual styles for each historical period, and maintain consistent quality and visual cohesiveness.

“Burgarens Historia” demonstrated that the burger’s story extends far beyond modern fast food, giving the burger a powerful narrative foundation.

The project also established new possibilities for AI-powered commercial storytelling, proving that ambitious narratives could be realized using emerging technologies. Our learnings – including the creative freedom that comes from having unlimited material access, the current limitations requiring intensive prompt engineering, and the unpredictable nature of AI’s capabilities formed our approach to future AI-integrated projects.

The collaboration reinforced the strong, trust-based relationship between Gabardin and Bastard Burgers, built on our shared willingness to experiment with bold creative approaches and new technologies.