‘Tis the season when groups like ‘You don’t know it’s Christmas till you see the Coca-Cola Ad’ and ‘We love the John Lewis 2011 & 2012 Christmas Adverts’ litter our newsfeed with red and green seasonal merriment. This is usually spurred on by that awkward moment in mid-November when you’re vaguely aware that Christmas is coming, but you’re blasted with television adverts that portray the holiday’s imminent arrival. Maybe it’s sooner than you thought!
The problem with these adverts, and the reason they are becoming increasingly effective, is that they’re no longer the traditional happiness and good will to all men snippets of cheese that we were used to in the early stages of TV advertising. Far from it. Instead we find ourselves clutching our chest, tears streaming down our cheeks and reaching for that glass of wine and box of chocolates strategically placed on the coffee table. The heart-wrenching ad is a clever marketing strategy, the pinnacle before this year being the John Lewis Advert of 2011; the story of a young boy who just can’t wait for Christmas, but on Christmas morning runs past his own presents and into his Mum and Dad’s room to give them his gift for them. The tagline reads ‘For gifts you can’t wait to give’.
After a few years of more than average adverts, other brand names such as Sainsbury’s, M&S and, of course, Coca-Cola have risen to the challenge and thus the ad battle begins! This year John Lewis, once again, stepped up to the plate and delivered the heart-warming and then devastating tale of Monty the penguin, who just wants to find love. When he finally does on Christmas day we are overcome with joy, only to be shown a moment later that Monty is just a toy, his life a product of a child’s imagination. ‘Give someone the Christmas they’ve been dreaming of’. We all thought they’d done it, #MontyThePenguin taking the world of social media by storm. But then along came Sainsbury’s…
If you haven’t seen the advert yet, then check out the full version here:
After its release it raised a great deal of controversy amongst members of the public. Many applauded the historically based scene of the football match and 48 hour armistice between the British and German soldiers. However, others were outraged that the war had been used for commercial gain. One member of the public said: “It’s disgusting. Millions of people died in that war and they’re taking advantage of that to sell a few groceries. Sainsbury’s should be ashamed of themselves.” But is it really that bad?
First off, it is important to note that the advert was made in conjunction with the Royal British Legion, who Sainsbury’s have been supporting through fundraising for over 20 years. Not only this, but the only thing advertised throughout the advert is the Sainsbury’s chocolate bar in authentic wrapping. If you go into the Derby Road store these are right by the entrance, and I would thoroughly recommend buying them; not just because the chocolate is delicious, but because 100% of the proceeds are being donated to the Royal British Legion.
At the end of the day (and I know I’m not the only one), I found myself in tears watching some extraordinarily powerful advertising and I think that the producers and directors deserve credit for it. They claimed in an interview that they “tried to make it as historically accurate as possible, from the uniforms to the depth of the trenches”, and I think they did a fabulous job. A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s summed it up perfectly when he said that “It’s the message behind the advert that is important and that’s that even at the toughest of times… there can be great humanity.” For me, that is the essence of Christmas spirit, but what do you think?
Sources
http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/about-us/heritage/christmas/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSLOnR1s74o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iccscUFY860
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/sainsburys-christmas-advert-2014-moving-4625887
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s1YvnfcFVs
Edited by Sam Carey