GOOD’s Battle of the Christmas Ads

Tesco, #BecomeMoreChristmas

I really love this year’s Tesco ad because it’s simply something I’ve not seen before, and that’s rare in the Christmas ad game. We’re used to big production budgets and fancy special effects – but Tesco has gone old school with, I imagine, lots of glue and sticky tape underneath those elaborate costumes. They’re tacky and unrefined, but oh so fun. Just imagine the giggles the team must’ve had during shooting. And amongst a slew of anti-Christmas Christmas ads (M&S what were you thinking?) it lands on a truth – the joy of Christmas is irresistible. 

Josie Hicks, Copywriter 

JD Sports, The Bag for Life

JD’s Christmas advert scraps Santa suits for tracksuits, reindeers with a white horse, snow with drizzly estates and Christmas dinner with a curry. But the true meaning of Christmas remains the same – togetherness. JD strip back Christmas to what matters most – friends, family and community. With the help of a star-studded cast, JD presents us with an attainable and inspiring Christmas. One where you don’t need lavish gifts or the perfect tree. 

And with everything going on in the world, it’s a Christmas that we need more than ever. JD have embodied the spirit of Christmas without any baubles or Bublé and it’s refreshing to see. 

Emma Dodds, Account Executive

Apple, Fuzzy Feelings

Using a Mac on the daily naturally led me to warm to Apple’s Fuzzy Feelings, a near four-minute stop motion about giving back at Christmas time.  

While some Christmas ads can be loud, broad and all about the food, Apple tells an intimate and charming story in mixed media; the hero, a tired office worker brings to life their ‘homemade’ stop motion and we follow as the story crosses into real world with her grumpy boss.  

It’s amazing to realise this fuzzy felt animation was all shot on the iPhone. Every frame is a pleasure to watch, the characters and sets are beautifully crafted, and the camera captures ever detail 

Apple’s ad is a dark comedy (spoiler: the fuzzy felt boss gets hit by a car then rolls off a Christmas tree!) but has a happy ending. And while the fuzzy felt medium is intriguing, the story adds a new layer with George Harrison’s 70’s solo album Isn’t It A Pity… Isn’t it a pity that we take so many selfies and forget the full creative potential of technology.  

Jonas Pollard, Junior Art Director 

Etsy, “Twins”

Etsy’s Christmas campaigns always focus on meaningful giving, an obvious win given their multitude of sellers offering handcrafted and unique items. But while last year’s films ‘To the New Parents’ and ‘To the Travellers’ dialled up the emotion and highlighted how gifts big and small can connect us, this year they’ve chosen to adopt a more playful approach. The series of short spots features different people trying to find the perfect gift for their loved ones, each singing their challenge to the tune of the Mission Impossible theme, until their dilemma is solved by a personalised present from Etsy. 

This campaign captures the thrill of gift-giving in a heartwarming, giggle-inducing way rather than the tear-jerking approach they’ve taken previously – and for the record, I’ve loved their tear-jerking ads too! But this year’s campaigns felt refreshing in a world where we’re all looking for a bit of light relief. While the scenarios are perfectly constructed to communicate the benefit of buying unique gifts from Etsy, they all felt real as they’re built around familiar relationship dynamics and human truths. I loved this fresh new way of bringing the ‘Etsy has it’ creative platform to life for Christmas. 

Jessica Sargent, Planner 

KFC

KFC is unapologetically KFC, and their advert does a great job of telling us all where to stick our opinions. Whereas we all expect Christmas to be a certain way – turkey, Christmas music, cheesy characters or dressing up (like many others on this page), this advert offers none of that. It focusses on the un-impressive, behind the scenes of a KFC kitchen (with an epic soundtrack), and the only Christmas shortcut is a dash of (probably fake) snow. There’s no ‘finger licking good’ in this advert. Instead, it draws us all in with some user generated content which has probably crossed all our minds at some point – would KFC do turkey at Christmas? And then they throw it all back in our face at the final minute. KFC might sell chicken, but they definitely aren’t chickens when it comes to being bold, and distinctive at Christmas.    

Gaby Morgan, Senior Planner 

Aldi, Kevin the Carrot and the Christmas Factory

We might all have our own personal preference when it comes to the Christmas ads, but if we’re to determine the most effective we need to look at the facts. Advertising researchers System1 analyse Christmas ads each year according to which will lead to the largest amount of brand growth. Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot took the top spot this year, beating even Coca Cola’s classic “Holidays are Coming.” It’s a good reminder that whilst marketeers are tempted to always look for the new and shiny, advertising works by building memory structures in the long term – and because of this the best ads are show to actually wear in, rather than wear out. We also know that recognisable characters are an advertising effectiveness superpower, and that Kevin is already estimated to have created £618m in brand value for Aldi. Combining the iconic carrot with the cultural currency of a Willy Wonka themed story in this year’s Christmas ad will undoubtedly shoot Aldi up the supermarket rankings.   

Pete Esuola-Grant, Head of Planning