The air is getting chilly (then again, when is it not?) and the sky is getting darker, which can only mean one thing – it’s nearly CHRISTMAS!
And just when we thought we’d seen everything in Christmas advertising last year, the major Christmas advertisers go and drop a man on the moon!
This year major retailers have pulled out all the stops when it comes to creating their festive advert. So far, we’ve seen emotional, funny, and thanks to the wonderful World Wide Web, something we’re all extremely familiar with, a parody.
The fierce competition started on November 9 when John Lewis released their highly anticipated advert, sending the majority of the nation into tears.
Their theme was to show someone they’re loved this Christmas, which pulled on many heartstrings (in particular our Creative Director John’s who, for another year running, has given his award for the best Christmas ad to the retailer) when a little girl sends a telescope to an old, lonely man living on the moon.
Sainsbury’s was another big contender this year after securing the top spot last year with their emotional retake of the First World War truce.
This year, they’ve introduced ‘Mog the Cat’. The moral of the advert is that Christmas is for sharing when the neighbours save the day after Mog’s family are left without turkey and presents following a house fire caused by the cheeky little cat.
We were spoiled for choice when the festive cheer continued, as one by one the likes of Asda, Very, Sky Movies and Marks and Spencer all kicked off their 2015 Christmas campaigns.
As always, Marks and Spencer made our mouths water at their delicious Christmas food range (is it time for Christmas dinner yet?), while Asda had us dancing around the living room to Fleur East’s hit single ‘Sax’.
A huge Disney fan, our PR and Marketing Director naturally chose the Sky Movies advert as his favourite, with the retailer showing us just how exciting sprouts really can be, in a two minute trip through the biggest movies of 2015.
Aldi was one of the last to enter the battle with a spoof of the John Lewis advert. The supermarket used a parody to promote their cheaper priced telescopes – a very brave move given that recent John Lewis adverts have held a special place in the hearts of most of the nation!
As expected, the advert caused mixed reactions on social media, as loyal John Lewis fans voiced their anger, while Aldi shoppers expressed their love. The advert may have been a risk, but it’s been a risk definitely worth taking in the eyes of our Advertising Director Ian who likes how Aldi have used John Lewis’ success to their advantage - something the company are getting better and better at doing.
We also can’t forget the Tesco Christmas advert starring Ruth Jones. The actress plays an embarrassing mother in the supermarket on a family Christmas shop when the son is trying to be cool in front of a girl. This is definitely one of my favourites, nothing says Christmas to me like an embarrassing moment caused by your family!
Our office has been divided; with some of us falling in love with a good old tear-jerker, and the rest preferring the comedy value. With the ads signifying the start of the festive period, we’ve all got such strong opinions, so what do you look for in your Christmas advert?
