The first wave of 2015 festive ads
It’s only November, but we’re ready to hit you with ad land’s festive sparkle. Take a look at our round-up of the first wave of Christmas ads.
Sainsbury’s “Mog’s Christmas Calamity” by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
British supermarket Sainsbury’s was behind last year’s controversial re-enactment of the Christmas Day ‘Truce’ football match which took place between German and English soldiers in 1914. This year they’ve not wandered from safe, light-hearted territory, and gone for an ad based on the much-loved children’s book character, the disaster-prone cat Mog - 13 years after she was killed off by creator by Judith Kerr.
The spot is over three-minutes long and tells the tale of how Mog manages to destroy a kitchen on Christmas Eve in a series of unfortunate incidents – but ends out being praised as the hero of the hour for accidentally alerting the fire brigade. Kerr herself makes a cameo as a neighbour.
Framestore, the studio who was also behind the film Paddington, animated Mog using a mixture of live action and animation. Both the ad and book were created in conjunction with Kerr’s publisher HarperCollins with all profits from sales of the book going to Save the Children to support their literacy work. Watch how they made the ad here.
John Lewis “Man on the Moon” by adam&eveDDB, London
The John Lewis spot (now anticipated as much as a Christmas lights switch-on) directed by Kim Gehrig tells the story of a young girl called Lily. Looking at the moon through her family telescope one night, she is amazed at what she finds, a man on the moon.
Lily watches on as the man goes about his chores, all alone up there. She becomes determined to get something to the moon, to send him a message and show him that someone down here is thinking of him. The music is ‘Half the World Away’ performed by Aurora, the original song was by Manchester band, Oasis.
The ad references the Christmas partnership between John Lewis and charity Age UK, which aims to help some of the million older people in the UK who will go for a month without speaking to anyone. It’s already racked up over 13.5 million hits on YouTube.
Canal+ "Best Friend" by BETC Paris
BETC highlights the importance of choosing your gifts carefully.in this spot for Canal+ which features a couple and their daily struggle with their cumbersome “best friend”. We won’t spoil the ending for you.
Mulberry “Mullbery Miracle” by adam&eveDDB, London
Luxury accessories brand Mulberry presents a nativity-themed spot with a cheeky edge (following on from last year’s “Win Christmas”). One Christmas Eve, a girl receives a Mulberry bag which causes some unexpected “visitors” to drop by and share in the wonder of a miraculous gift.
Nike “Snow Day” by Wieden + Kennedy, Portland
Next up it’s “Snow Day”, where the roads are closed, school is cancelled and the game is on. Nike’s spot is refreshingly devoid of Christmas, where to the sound of James Brown’s ‘Payback,’ we are taken on a truly fun ride in the snow.
The spot opens on the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski, who wakes to find the frosty flakes coming down hard outside the window of his home. For him, the blizzard is a call to action, and he storms outside to find his fellow NFL star, the Miami Dolphins' Ndamukong Suh, standing by his own porch ready to go.
The two proceed to summon an all-star cast of super athletes from their respective abodes to join a game of tackle football in a wintery wonderland. Nike athletes include Odell Beckham Jr., Le'Veon Bell, Eugenie Bouchard, Antonio Brown, Elena Delle Donne, Marlen Esparza, Paula Findlay, Lauren Fisher, Paul George, A.J. Green, Draymond Green, Luke Kuechly, Sydney Leroux, Carli Lloyd, Marcus Mariota, LeSean McCoy, Ben Roethlisberger, Eric Weddle and Steven Stamkos.
Look out for comic inserts such as Gronkowski smashing his head through a window, the Pittsburgh Steeler's Bell, charging through his front door, smashing it to bits, while the New York Giants' Beckham Jr. catches a barbell in mid-air. Part of Nike’s #GetOutHere campaign promoting weather-protective products such as Therma-Sphere Max and AeroReact.
Harvey Nichols “Avoid Gift Face” by adam&eveDDB, London
Another offering from the London agency, this time for luxury department store, Harvey Nichols. We’re sure you’ve perfected your ‘gift face’ over the years so the spot will resonate with anyone who has received an unwanted gift. We were hoping for a bit more from Harvey Nics – there have been better ads over the years.
17 November 2015
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