Miracle Bags And Christmas Gags: 5 Ads You Should Watch Right Now
After a week watching the best (and worst) video advertisements on the net, we’ve picked the five essential ones to watch so you can enjoy your weekend.
In this week’s round-up we have a dog dressed as Santa and
So without further ado, here is our weekly round-up of the five ads you should watch right now.
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
5. Asda – ‘#becauseitschristmas’
Every winter, we seem to complain that Christmas is starting earlier with each passing year. With festive-themed lattes on sale in coffee shops and fairy lights already lining high streets across the country, there’s another tradition that’s come early too. That’s right, it’s the Christmas branding bonanza!
With the holiday season now rivalling the Super Bowl for ad attention, brands are more keen than ever to stick out from the pack. One spot that’s already managed to grab our attention is Asda, whose frenetically-paced and genuinely funny new spot makes a change from bog standard jingle bells fare.
4. Mulberry – ‘#MulberryMiracle’
One brand that’s already made a strong impression in the Christmas ads race is Mulberry. While the brand may not be a household name (unless your household features many £900 handbags), its Xmas spot ‘#MulberryMiracle’ has received some decent press attention for its rather cheeky, and definitely sacrilegious, concept.
A spin on the traditional Nativity story, the ad finds a man giving his partner the gift of a new handbag, at which a series of shepherds and wise men arrive to bless this seeming miracle. While the ‘expensive bag = baby Jesus’ equation isn’t exactly theologically sound, it is a tremendously original concept for a Christmas spot.
3. The North Face – ‘Sudden Exploration’
The North Face is a brand typically associated with rough-and-tumble mountaineering types, but its latest spot really pushes its customers to the limit. Established as a virtual reality PR stunt, the ad finds unsuspecting shoppers sitting down to indulge in the full-fledged North Face experience.
Little do they know that the maniacs behind North Face South Korea has something slightly different in store from them, and it involves being dragged through a shopping centre by yipping huskies. While it may not reach the ‘Saw’ levels of insanity reached in their previous campaign, ‘Sudden Exploration’ makes a strong argument for approaching any novelty marketing pitch with extreme caution.
2. Lidl – ‘Lidl School of Christmas’
Last but certainly not least, we have the current frontrunner for 2015’s most inventive Christmas ad. While so many festive spots retread the same tired territory (ahem, Waitrose), the creative team behind ‘Lidl School of Christmas’ chose to branch out into something a little more memorable.
Just as the title suggests, Lidl’s spot is a tongue-in-cheek look at a school where the rudiments of Christmas are taught. This includes everything from the obvious (untangling fairy lights and making small talk with extended family) to the slightly more obscure (dressing up the family dog). While Lidl has pitched an early favourite for the season, we’ll keep you updated as more brands release their festive efforts.
Merry Friday!
- John Lewis – #ManOnTheMoon
For all the weeks of ad land speculation concerning John Lewis’ latest campaign, the retailer has once again managed to surprise, opting for a concept of greater magnitude than ever before. ‘#ManOnTheMoon’ may be one small step for John Lewis, but it’s one giant leap for Christmas advertising ambitions.
Of course, the real test of a Christmas campaign is audience enthusiasm. It’s true of all advertising, but particularly festive spots, that emotional appeal trumps creative appeal when it comes to ads sharing widely across the social web. While ‘#ManOnTheMoon’ certainly has creative vision and stunning production value, the ad’s core message is one of warmth, nostalgia and family – all triggers which are conducive to sharing at this time of year. There’s the potential that the new spot’s lack of a fluffy lead in Monty or The Bear may hinder its chances, but as far as human-based emotional hooks, John Lewis seem to have pulled it off again.
