In the blink of an eye here we are. Swapping witches hats for Santa ones and asking everyone to be merry like a bowl full of heavily rum-laced jelly – it’s hard to believe it’s nearly here, right?
However, as the big day approaches, it does mean one thing we’re VERY glad to see. The return of the Christmas Ads! As you should know by now, there’s nothing we love more than an Xmas Ad review (take a look at Christmas Ads from 2021 for further festive rabbit-holes to dive down).
Now, pour yourself a cup of something cinnamon-tasting, make yourself comfy in those matching insta-worthy pj’s, and join us as we take a peek at this year’s top 3 big hitters offering us a sweet, sweet slice of Christmas Ad pie…
Every year John Lewis set themselves the challenge of spiralling the nation into inconsolable sobs – and 2022 isn’t any different.
Simply titled, The Beginner, this ad follows the story of a rather bumbling 40-something-year-old bloke learning to skateboard. We watch as he pours over video tutorials, fails numerous flips and kicks, falls over a lot, ices aching joints, and looks rather goofy in an ill-fitting helmet.
So far so non-tear-inducing. That is until the doorbell rings and we’re presented with the arrival of Ellie, a young girl who the wannabe skateboarder and his partner will be fostering over Christmas. Ellie is of course clutching…you guessed it, a skateboard. Upon eyeing the one sitting in the hall, our protagonist confirms that he too likes to skateboard. Ellie smiles.
And as if on cue, our heartstrings are yanked into oblivion.
We’re not quite sure how they keep doing it, but bravo to John Lewis and their creative team. Once again smashing it out of the park and taking something painful, poignant, and difficult and turning into a heart-warming masterpiece.
JL, we tip our tip our hats to you, big dawg. Well done.
It’s true, everyone’s favourite vegetable hero, Kevin the Carrot returns for another Christmas outing. Yet again Aldi has opted to stick to its tried and tested formula of recreating a Christmas classic with Kevin and the gang leading the charge. This time around, Kevin’s family head to Paris on holiday. Unbeknownst to them (can you guess?) they’ve only ruddy gone and left poor little Kevin behind.
Full of nods to current affairs, this ad is littered with easter eggs for eagle-eyed viewers and only further cements Aldi’s position as a marketing genius with more than a little tongue in its cheek. Seen kicking back at home watching a the World Cup, viewers will notice the team names are ‘CUTH’ and ‘COL’, a reference to the ‘Cuthbert vs Colin’ fandango between Aldi and M&S that blew up on social media.
The ad concludes a la Home Alone II with a heart-warming reunion between Kevin and his family over a feast of delicious Aldi Christmas food.
Bon appetite.
Last but by no means least, Asda have come out guns blazing in the Xmas Ad stakes and only gone and employed Buddy for some holiday cover over the festive season.
Cleverly, Asda have re-edited footages from the original film Elf and applied them to a perfectly played ensemble cast working in a busy Asda store. We imagine the budget to shoot original clips with Will Ferrell was just a tad out of their already gargantuan budget spend.
During the ad, Buddy can be seen working the checkout, charming customers, and decorating the store in true cult-classic Elf style.
And Asda haven’t stopped there. They’ve kept the theme of ‘Have your Elf a Merry Little Christmas’ throughout their other marketing channels, including their email comms – now that’s the kind of smart omnichannel strategy we like to see.
Admittedly, creating a visionary and unforgettable Christmas campaign is a labour of love, needs weeks of planning and can be a real drain on resources.
You’ll also need to know what channels your customers use to interact with your brand, so you can target them and ensure that the whole project isn’t a waste of precious time and money. That’s why campaigns like these need a team of experts to help you realise your vision. If you’d like to discuss any seasonal plans and ideas with us, just drop us a message here, we’re a friendly bunch.
