Our 6 Favourite Christmas Advertising Modern Classics
We all know about the much anticipated John Lewis adverts that arrive at the end of November every year, but what about the other modern classics of Christmas advertising? Here are some of our favourites (some of which we worked on, some we didn’t) from the last few years in no particular order.
OTTO – ‘Zeit Geschenk/The Gift Of Time’ (2016)
We produced a choral cover of Cyndi Lauper‘s ‘Time After Time’ for Otto‘s 2016 Christmas campaign and it provides the spot with a real emotional heft. The animation’s distinct style depicts a family of three struggling to break free of the time constraints that keep them apart.
Tymbark – ‘Daj coś od siebie/Give something back’ (2015)
We licensed English singer-songwriter Richard Walters‘ cover of Peter Bjorn & John‘s ‘Young Folks’ for Tymbark in 2015. The spot tells the story of a young boy doing odd jobs around his neighbourhood to save up money for some new trainers. After reading the message “Give something back” on the inside of a Tymbark bottle cap, he decides to instead buy a pair of kicks for his new baby sibling.
Allegro – ‘English for beginners’ (2016)
The next few adverts aren’t our projects sadly, but I dare you to try watching this one to the end without tearing up. It follows the story of an elderly Polish man learning English through books bought at online retailer Allegro, with a heartwarming reveal as to why.
Edeka – ‘Coming Home’ (2015)
Let’s continue the theme of tearjerker-involving-an-elderly-man with Edeka‘s 2015 Christmas spot. To be honest the concept is a bit dark – he tells his grownup children that he’s dead because it’s the only way to get them to come and visit – but stick an emotional ballad on it (‘Dad‘ by Neele Ternes) and lo the tears shall flow. If you like crying about old men being alone at Christmas, make sure you check out our work on Polish charity Stowarzyszenie mali bracia Ubogich‘s latest spot (and donate to their anti-loneliness campaign!).
IKEA – ‘Silence The Critics’ (2019)
IKEA‘s current Christmas campaign provides a refreshing change from the usual tactic of ‘if they’re crying they’re buying’ that most brands seem to take around this time of year. They enlisted the help of British rapper D Double E to bring a fresh, funny take on festive advertising.
Sainsbury’s – ‘Christmas is for sharing’ (2014)
British supermarket Sainsbury’s marked the World War One centenary with a film depicting the impromptu Christmas Day football match between the opposing sides. The British and German soldiers join together with a rendition of ‘Silent Night/Stille Nacht’, providing a reminder that against all the odds there’s always more that unites us than divides us.
