TIS THE SEASON FOR XMAS EXTRAVAGANZA ADS

Martin Cox - Creative Director

Ho Ho Here we go again! Tis the season for the Xmas extravaganza ads. When the big budget, big productions come out, but so do the big expectations. So, who’s got a sack full of goodies and who’s got a mouldy tangerine? Let’s sit back with a box of Quality Street and enjoy:

Sainsbury’s have whizz-popped in early with Roald Dahl’s BFG. And combined with the other master storyteller Sam Brown, it’s a Christmas delight. A trip around the UK with our friendly giant to source the ingredients for a Christmas dinner, it’s a visual feast as British as Chicken Masala. Beautifully crafted, festive entertainment with heartwarming product story too. Gloriumptious!

Waitrose have gone all festive mystery with their ‘Sweet Suspicion’. It’s a Christmas Mystery of who stole the Christmas dessert? With some lovely performances, casting and writing and it nicely captures the nuances of the Christmas family dynamic. There are lots of characters we may recognise from our own families, and a surprising open-ended whodunnit ending. A brave idea to keep the audience engaged or a bit assumptive for today’s fractured viewing habits? We shall see.

Asda got me excited with its great music choice. A sort of A-Team Santa and his squad are called upon to help deliver Christmas. It’s an admirable attempt to build a branded asset, but then I just spent the whole film wondering what gnomes have got to do with Christmas? but Christmas gnomes? Then came the end-frame that revealed the line ‘Asda. The Gnome of Christmas’. I’m still confused.

Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot continues to grow. This year he’s a mission to what looks like a Minions-inspired den of humbugs where he’s determined to capture the Christmas spirit. Love the poetic voiceover, the gags and some classic movie references. Another prizeworthy carrot.

Boots ‘A Christmas Makeover’ takes us into a Mrs Santa’s elf workshop – a Willy Wonka-esque fun factory that’s been given a glow up. It’s a spectacle full of glitz and glitter. But the only product on sale seems to be bows? So rather all style and no content for me. Oh, and a missed opportunity to match ‘slay’ with ‘sleigh’ too!

And another celebrity and another magic sprinkle of a table of Xmas food from Marks & Spencer. This time it’s Dawn French as the hostess with the mostest, including a fairy version of herself. It’s another fun frolic with nods to her Vicar of Dibley character. For a brand famous for really luxuriating in its food offering, I wanted to see more of it, so I actually prefer the shorter, more food-specific versions. After all, It’s not just food, its M&S Christmas food.

And lastly of course, the Daddy of Christmas adverts John Lewis. It’s a whistlestop, last-minute dash through a store, a clothes rail and a woman’s life, looking for something for her sister. It has all the ingredients of an emotional story, but I just found it all a bit of a Christmas dash. The urgency of her journey seemed to work against being able to appreciate the life moments they’d shared. Perhaps it will work better in multiple short versions. Or perhaps it just needed to be a little more languid and in pace with the great music choice.

So, lots of big budget, productions and lots of kudos to all the agencies, directors, production and post-production companies for such amazing craft. And noticeable how they’ve all moved away from the purposeful tearjerkers of the John Lewis years towards unashamed entertainment. My personal favourite is Sainsbury’s and its patriotic British storytelling. And I’ll admit to a soft spot for director Sam Brown since our Land Rover Dragon Challenge together.

Indeed, I’ve made a fair few big budget campaigns over the years (although mostly for cars) and know the months of long days and nights that goes into such campaigns, so kudos to all. As an industry, we should be proud of the amazing craft and passion involved in creating all these campaigns. And of course, kudos to all the clients for investing in such merry Christmas work.

Right, I’m off shopping to go look for wigs in blankets, carrots, humbugs, bows, red velvet dessert and a garden gnome!