It’s December which means it’s publicly acceptable to play Michael Bublé’s Deluxe Edition on repeat and declare “but it is Christmas” as we ‘accidentally’ tuck into our third mince pie of the day…
Although Christmas traditionally arrives in December, it certainly comes a lot earlier in the advertising sphere for supermarkets and retailers. Whether you love or hate the thought of festivities starting too early, there’s always a great sense of anticipation around leading brands and their annual Christmas adverts.
With all major commercials now released for 2021, it’s evident that most marketing teams have built campaigns around a similar theme: hyper-emotional, family-centric and pulling-on-the-heartstrings.
With the overarching topic of ‘making the most of Christmas time with your loved ones’, after what has been a lousy couple of years prominent across most adverts, we must ask ourselves as marketeers, is this theme a little too predictable and cliché, or is it a clever way of making an impression on the majority?
Debenhams’ advert will leave a lump in your throat, featuring a sweet young girl reminiscing on the Christmas traditions that couldn’t take place last year. While Coca Cola’s advert on the ‘real magic of human connections’ really hits home after a year of missing out on catching up with those we love.
There’s no doubt that brands are influencing feelings this year to get people to buy, with everyone in the world having experienced the heartache of the last couple of years.
On the other hand, we have brands that have strayed away from the beaten path and have instead chosen a ‘feel good’ and comedic theme for their Christmas ads.
Aldi’s very own Kevin the Carrot has returned to our screens with Ebanana Scrooge, a clever play on Charles Dickens’ famous novel. Celebrations with its Love Actually-style spoof where the Bounty is left on its own at the bottom of the box, until it finds its perfect match in a sprout. Both ads have a way of making us laugh and feel good, without the need to reflect on the disappointment of last Christmas.
There is no doubt that we appreciate what we have this Christmas even more than ever before – and brand advertisers aren’t letting us forget it.
Nifty would love to know: what side are you on?
