It’s that time of year again. The last batch of pumpkin soup was eaten last week and the bonfires seem to have only just burnt out, we blink and all things Christmas appear!
Whilst the Christmas songs in the supermarket might be a little too much, there is one thing none of us mind indulging on mid-November…Christmas adverts. Whether you think it’s too early or not we all know the moment you see the Coca-Cola Christmas truck or the John Lewis advert on TV, it is of course ‘officially Christmas’.
We almost forget that these adverts are created as a promotional platform and as talk about who’s seen what consumes the office, it is clear that their job as advertisers is done (for this year). But is all this hype worth the whopping £5.6bn that UK advertisers are set to spend this festive season? I’m sure the college student who fooled the internet into thinking his A Level project was in fact the John Lewis 2016 advert would think not.
Whilst the TV ads are the main attraction, brands go that extra mile by ensuring that there is something for almost all multimedia platforms. John Lewis had their own ‘Buster the Boxer’ Snapchat filter whilst Waitrose are releasing an online interactive experience of the Robin’s journey as well as a book in-store. Not forgetting the ad-focused merchandise that is sold in-store. In 2014 the star of the John Lewis advert, Monty the Penguin sold out in within 24 hours of the launch and were later being sold online for over four times the original RRP price of £95!
Whether it’s embracing the festive songs coming through your radio early November, or eagerly waiting in anticipation for the release of the ads. It is clear that the majority of us are crazy for that warm fuzzy feeling that accompanies the Christmas period that is often spoon fed to us in subliminal messages of love and togetherness conveyed in each advert.
These are the adverts that have been released for 2016 so far:
- John Lewis – Buster the Boxer
- Aldi – Kevin the Carrot
- Sainsbury’s – The Greatest Gift
- Waitrose – Home for Christmas
- M&S – Christmas with Love from Mrs Claus
- Tesco – Bring it On
- Boots – The Gift of Beauty
We did a round-up at the KC Communications office to find out what it is about festive ads that tickles our tinsel!
Sarah
I live for Christmas adverts and I’m definitely not one of these people that complains how early they are – the earlier the better I say!
My favourite adverts are the ones that move away from the commercial ‘present giving’ message and are about being with friends and family. One of my favourites is the Bear & Hare John Lewis advert from a few years ago. Anything tear jerking is a winner for me.
Waitrose have done a pretty great job this year with their ‘Robin flying home for Christmas’ advert.
Megan
Christmas is my favourite time of year and I get excited at the sight of all things Christmassy so when the adverts start coming on TV I love it, particularly the Coca-Cola truck ad, purely because it’s a classic ad.
I’m really family orientated and I have young children in my family so any advert with kids and family really tug on my heart strings.
The 2011 John Lewis – The Long Wait advert was hands down the best for me but for 2016 I’d say the one that got me is Mrs Claus for M&S.
Jess
My favourite Christmas advert would probably be last year’s John Lewis advert with the man on the moon. It was one of the best adverts I’ve seen, it was quite emotional!
Katrina
My favourite Christmas ad of all time is John Lewis’s 2010 ad, titled “Tribute to Givers”. Having two young children this ad in particular resonates with me, especially sneaking presents around the children to get them out of sight. Not only that, have you tried wrapping some of the toys kids get nowadays, a toy kitchen in particular drove me insane one year! Ellie Goulding’s rendition of Your Song also added to the magic of this ad, especially as its a song which always manages to tug at my heart strings.
However, Sainsbury’s 2014 ad titled “The Truce” is a strong contender. Depicting real history when British and German troops put down their weapons to play a game of football at Christmas it really was something that made you stop and think about what Christmas is really all about.
Finally, to throw it into the mix, I absolutely love any advert by Aldi, their style of offering humour with facts about what they are offering is something another brand is yet to compete with and do it well. Their take of John Lewis’ “Man on the Moon” won hands down in my opinion. Although, I think it’s the Gin Granny’s cheeky appearance that wins it.
Jen
I love Christmas! I don’t really watch television but the one Christmas advert that I really do remember is John Lewis’ Christmas Advert of 2012, named The Journey. This advert evokes nostalgic memories of my childhood, building snowmen and even the song itself is a cover of a family favourite!
This year, I’m a huge fan of The Heathrow Airport Christmas advert. Just for novelty value as it’s a little bit different to all the other Christmas ads. It’s the airport’s first Christmas campaign and I think they’ve done a pretty good job at depicting what’s it’s like to see family at Christmas time.