It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Yes, it’s that time of year again. The lights are going up, the Christmas advertisements are rolling out and my bank balance is rapidly going down… With only six weeks left until the biggest festive celebration in the world, let’s take a look at what some big UK brands have in store for us.

For the past eight years (yes, it’s really been eight) a certain retailer has been gracing our screens throughout November and December with some sort of tear-jerker. This year is no different. We all crowded round a screen to watch the new John Lewis advertisement on the morning of its release and a few of us turned away feeling a bit welled-up. The story is a simple one, but it has an important message, giving the advertisement that extra dimension.

In support of Age UK, John Lewis have subtly reminded their viewers that there are some people who will be alone this Christmas. Without shoving it down our throats, a little girl sends the Man on the Moon a Christmas present, showing that we don’t have to do much to support those who will be alone. In my opinion, that subtlety makes this their best Christmas advertisement yet. Take a look…

The trend with these advertisements seems to be the lack of products. As far back as I can remember, the advertisements have ended with the giving of a present. No specific products are mentioned, no “buy this alarm clock now” messaging. Just simple gift-giving – that’s what makes them work.

Another popular feature of Christmas is the ‘awful joke’. You can find them in crackers, and you may hear them after dad has had a few brandies, but this year you can also find them in Lidl’s Christmas ad. I don’t know about you, but I was getting bored of Lidl’s “guess which supermarket this is from” formula, so their Christmas advertisement is a refreshing change, and I actually had a little giggle along with it!

I think we could all do with some educating on how not to tangle those fairy lights!

A new addition to the Christmas advertisement scene is Celebrations, the huge tub of chocolates that we see in supermarkets from August onwards. Potentially spurred on by the fact that Quality Street had its own advertisement last Christmas, Celebrations has given it a go – and I love it! It’s simple, sweet and reminds me very much of Toy Story. I think it’s far better than Quality Street’s 2014 ad.

If you’d like to discuss how we can help you with your seasonal projects 2016, please email brett.sammels@lawcreative.co.uk