“I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” for brands and agencies

In the UK and the USA, the beginning of the ‘golden quarter’ is heralded (pun intended) by an influx of festive commercials from big brands and supermarket chains. In the UK, some consumers are almost as interested in getting a first look at the latest John Lewis Christmas ad as they are in the latest streaming hit. That is how embedded Christmas advertising has become in culture. This is good news for us as marketers and even better for retailers and brands.

Christmas adverts traditionally tend to be emotionally driven, seeking to tap into universal feelings of connection and community. Of the three Festive ads we produced this year (Albert Heijn and McDonald’s), our work for the Staatsloterij seemed to resonate with people around the world the most because of its authentic story, sensitive direction, on-point casting and the soundtrack that accompanied it.

We always strive to make great work for clients, but when a piece of work resonates the way this one did, it shows that we got it right, without condescending to the audience and hopefully doing the brand proud.?

In the US and the UK, thinking big is a little more ‘Hollywood”. You can see that in films, series and entertainment, but also in commercials. In the Netherlands, we have always been a bit more down-to-earth, but that has begun to change recently. Our series and films are gaining more of an international feel. And so too are the commercials. Especially at Christmas, because now Dutch brands understand the impact of these ads so they want to spend a little more, which ultimately benefits the work.?

When I think about the first major shift in this way of thinking, it was probably the Albert Heijn commercial from 2015 called 'Ben's Christmas'. It’s a wonderful insight from a little boy who is just too big to sit with the kids and too young to sit with the adults at the dinner table topped with Albert Heijn festive fare. It’s beautifully filmed with delightful music by Charles Aznavour. This calibre of work has only increased over the years as we see that the bar being raised higher every year.

I was recently asked if all Christmas commercials are moving towards a ‘Hallmark Moment’ and if we as marketers should be moving in a different direction. It’s a fair question and my immediate instinct would be to agree. But we always want to watch the same Christmas movies every year, and it’s the month where we want that 'feel good' feeling, so why not share special moments that people can relate to, to escape even for 30 seconds from reality.?

Most consumers would rather skip commercials than watch them, except at Christmas. So it's up to us to make beautiful and interesting work throughout the year that truly connects with people. That is a challenge we can all embrace and is my Christmas wish for this year.