From stylish to sentimental to the ‘aww’ factor, this year’s set of global Christmas advertising has something for everyone. Shinmin Bali of BrandWagon picks out the 10 hottest ones from across the shores
John Lewis: John Lewis, the department store chain in the United Kingdom, has a merry spot for 2016 Christmas as opposed to the sober Man on the Moon piece last year. An Adam & Eve/DDB piece, this year’s #BusterTheBoxer ad ends with a very happy boxer having a gala time bouncing on a trampoline meant for the owner’s family. The film ends with the super reading, ‘Gifts that everyone will love’. Set to a cover version of One Day I’ll Fly Away, the film is bound to be seen as progressive for its domestic market, has the right amount of festive cheer and something that wins the audience almost every festive season — endearing animal antics (remember the same brand’s Monty The Penguin of 2014 or even Sainsbury’s Mog of 2015).
Heathrow Airport: Heathrow Airport put together its 70th anniversary and Christmas cheer to bring out its campaign, Coming Home for Christmas. Created by Havas London, the film ends with a super reading, ‘Coming home. The best gift of all’ and is set to Chas and Dave’s I’m Going Home. The heartwarming part is what it says on the box through a story of a teddy bear couple (we’re thinking of Paddington bears) coming home to the family via Heathrow, where they are greeted by their grandkids. If you’re a big fan of airport reunions, this one is a winner. If you’re not, it still does a good job at getting the point across.
Amazon Prime: The timing for this film, both in terms of the sociopolitical environment of the target market and the particular phase of the brand’s journey, work in Amazon Prime’s favour. The Christmas spotcreated by Joint, London, is notable for the message it gives. The ad sees a vicar and imam, seemingly long time friends and not as young as they would like to be, gifting each other what the other needs the most. What the gift is, and how atypical it is along with the character personalities portrayed adds a page to the manual of how festive ads can be done right and how not succumbing to the pressure of seeming ‘festive’ and colourful enough can pay off.
Marks & Spencer: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R’s Christmas creative for Marks & Spencer sees Mrs Claus reimagined — and how! What feels like a trailer to a movie we would gladly watch, it sees Mrs Claus answering a last minute letter from little Jake who’s aged ‘six but seven in two weeks’. Mrs Claus, clearly with her own way of handling things, steps out in style to respond to Jake’s request. Tongue-in-cheek humour sprinkled across the ad, be it the bit about Australia, the book she pretends to have fallen asleep reading or the helicopter’s model name. A step up from last year’s The Art of Christmas.
WWF: Christmassy in spirit in the sense of giving, helping and caring, World Wildlife Fund UK’s spot for the festive season #iProtectTigers looks to get people’s attention towards helping in tiger conservation. The J. Walter Thompson London film shows a family nursing back an injured tiger to health and the teary goodbye as the big cat returns to the wild. The film invites donations of £5 a month towards the cause.
McDonald’s: Leo Burnett London’s piece for McDonald’s for Christmas is Juliette’s story, in its second year, where the wooden doll is looking to find a home. The doll didn’t have the luck of being sold last year and is back on the shelf. As the days pass by, her desolation increases until she takes matters into her own hands and ventures into McDonald’s right across the street where she finds another toy. The ad ends with Juliette deciding to accompany the boy-toy and we find them both exiting the outlet in their owner’s carry bag.
Waitrose: Waitrose’s Home for Christmas by Adam & Eve/DDB essentially is a ‘Our product is just that good’ piece, but better. The film has also come a long way from last year’s What Makes Your Christmas? The film tells the story of a heroic robin bird making its way home to its partner to finally share a mince pie put out in a garden by a young girl. The animated robin battles hell and high seas, literally, to get back home on Christmas. Only a David Attenborough narration could have made the migration tale better. The film ends with a super reading, ‘At Christmas, there’s nothing quite like Waitrose’.
Asda: Asda, with its Christmas Made Better campaign, has done a series of mini ads with a product focus instead of a blockbuster attempt for the festive season. The Christmas reel has been created by Saatchi & Saatchi London and Blue 449. The subtle humour makes the shorts enjoyable and relatable, on what Christmas really means to everyone, young and old. Full points to Asda for using some real people insights in its vignettes.
Aldi: If you have ever wanted to ‘root’ for a carrot, now is the time to do it and Aldi provides the opportunity. McCann UK’s spot follows Kevin the Carrot’s plan to stay up late on Christmas eve to meet Santa. He journeys across the dining table, crossing mash potatoes, a chilly ice bucket and even has a brush with a grater all to make it to the tray of mince pies. A short nap later, he finds himself hanging on to a reindeer’s antlers for ‘deer’ life as he joins Santa and the reindeers in delivering gifts.
Vodafone: After what can be referred to as the Vodafone Turkey Pardon (well, sort of) in 2015 with Terry the Turkey, Vodafone and Grey London bring you a game of charades over video calling. Christmas eve sees three friends connecting but one of them is stranded in a broken down bus in the snow. A game of charades begins between him and his friends over video call, which eventually leads to his co-passengers joining in as well.