It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas Ads…
With November drawing to an end we’re fast approaching ‘the season to be jolly’ and with it comes everyone’s favourite tradition, Christmas ads!
This year we have more Christmas ads than ever before, but not all are made equal. Here’s our list of the top 5 Christmas ads of 2019.
1. John Lewis Christmas Advert
Starting with the brand that began this very British tradition, we get a heartwarming story of Edgar the dragon who can’t stop setting things on fire.
We start with a little girl and a (slightly smaller) dragon walking through a fairy tale village in winter. The excitable Edgar tries to join in with various festivities but time and again ruins them for everyone as fire jets out of his nose. After a particularly disastrous incident involving the village’s Christmas tree, Edgar hides away in his house refusing to see anyone. Come Christmas day the little girl finally gets him to open his door and gives him his present. The pair go to the village’s Christmas dinner and met with the shocked faces of the villagers, Edgar presents them with a Christmas pudding, finally putting his fiery breath to good use.
“Our story this year is all about the magic of friendship and how one thoughtful gesture can make all the difference. Edgar’s excitement around the festive season can often lead to fiery consequences, but Ava sparks an idea for the perfect present to help him light up Christmas in his own special way” – John Lewis & Partners
Song – I Can’t Fight This Feeling, Bastille
2. Sainsbury’s
Back to Christmas Eve, 1869 for this ad. Sainsbury’s take us back to the year they first began and tell us the tale of a young chimney sweep who’s fallen in with the wrong crowd.
Following a man remarkably similar to Dickens’ “Artful Dodger” our young boy watches in horror as the man brazenly steals oranges from Sainsbury’s stall. As one of the remaining oranges rolls to the floor, the young lad stops it rolling down the street and is immediately arrested. After facing public humiliation and an angry mob, he’s exiled out into the cold. Seeing this injustice the woman working at Sainsbury’s stall rides out to rescue the young boy from the cold and gives him a sack full of oranges. Full of Christmas spirit, the boy sneaks back into town to the orphanage where all the other children sleep and slips an orange into each of their socks that were hung to dry. Except for the Dodger’s, who wakes to find a lump of coal in his sock.
“150 years ago Sainsbury’s opened their first store and Christmas changed forever. Coincidence? Almost certainly… ho ho ho.” – Sainsbury’s
3. Aldi
Kevin the Carrot has returned with his cohorts, but this year is off to a rocky start.
Tied up by an angry mob of sprouts, jealous of Kevin’s work commandeering their place as the veg dish for Christmas, things aren’t looking good for Kevin. Until an angry sprout hurls a friendly tomato (Tommy) who sets Kevin free. Making a hasty escape to a nearby circus tent, Kevin and Tommy jump into a musical number as Christmas dinner forms around them.
“Roll up! Roll up! The Amazing Aldi Christmas Show is here. Witness the Flying Tra-peas, a guest appearance from bad guy Russell Sprout and of course, the star of the show…” – Aldi
4. Argos
A dad sits alone in the kitchen late at night, searching the Argos catalogue for Christmas presents when he gets swept away by his imagination.
When he finds a drumkit circled by his daughter, the kitchen table falls away revealing a drumkit underneath. Tentatively at first, he gives the drums a quick beat and the kitchen lights up behind him. Gripped by a youthful excitement he jumps straight into playing Simple Minds, Don’t You (Forget About Me). The TV turns on with the music video in the background to accompany him. As the song progresses more and more of the room disappears into what is beginning to look like a stage. The daughter comes down to find out what’s making so much noise and watches her dad from the stairs. When he spots her he indicates beside him where another drumkit magically appears and the two play together as the room turns into a concert hall.
“Argos renames the catalogue ‘The Book of Dreams’ as a dad’s childhood dreams are awoken when he sees the drumkit his daughter has circled.” – Argos
5. Joules
Joules have brought a short Wallace & Gromit sketch this Christmas, with all the over the top gadgetry and silliness you’d expect.
“We’ve decided to spend this Christmas with one of Britain’s most’ iconic duos. Are you ready for a cracking Christmas?
30 years ago, as Joules was just starting its journey, another brilliantly British creation was coming to life…Wallace & Gromit. To mark both our milestone anniversaries, we’ve decided to spend Christmas together!
Spot the Joules Christmas favourites brought to life in true Wallace and Gromit style! It’s everything you need for Christmas at the click of a button.” – Joules
Are you ready for Christmas? Are your presents bought and wrapped or will you get caught up in the last-minute rush? Wherever you are with your Christmas shopping, don’t miss the chance to get out your Christmas ads and marketing polished and ready to go!
Tip from Geoff: B2B companies will often see more success from a big new year campaign than they will from Christmas. If that’s you, spend this time planning and preparing for that instead.
Give Breathe a call at 01491 575057 to get a helping hand with your marketing campaign this winter.
