Well, we’re not quite sure where the past year has gone! 2021 seems to have flown by and there’s nothing quite like Christmas to bring some joy and warmth to our lives and end the year on a high. This year, we’re back with another round-up of some of our favourite festive adverts that have been a big hit in the news and on social media. Here’s what we thought and a look at some of our favourites:
John Lewis – An Unexpected Guest
We simply couldn’t start our round-up with anyone else other than John Lewis! When the ad from them is released – you know it’s Christmas time.. This year, the ad saw the story of a young boy teaching someone new to earth about Christmas and all the joys of the festive period. The video highlighted all those ‘first moments’, from trying a mince pie to decorating a tree and was all tied together with the slogan – ‘A Christmas as magical as your first.
The beautiful video certainly made us all feel warm inside and reminded us of how magical Christmas can be and that those little moments really mean the most. The video had such an amazing reaction on social media, with thousands taking online to share their appreciation for the ad with the hashtag ‘#UnexpectedGuest’. Well done John Lewis, another amazing ad that had a great response online and gave us all the festive feels!
Waitrose – Best Bit of Christmas
This year Waitrose stuck to what they know best – showcasing their incredible range of food and drink. The ad showed a series of lovely Christmas moments, but highlighted that in actual fact the best part of Christmas is the food! The video takes us on a journey that shows how each key part of the festive period is accompanied with delicious food and drink – making it the real star of the season.
We have to agree, food is definitely up there with some of the best parts of Christmas. Everything simply tastes better at this time of year… The advert provided a clever campaign for the brand as the hashtag #ChristmasAtWaitrose soon trended on Twitter following it’s release. Users took to the platform to express how they agreed and also shared their favourite bits from Waitrose’s selection this year. A clever campaign that perfectly related to the brand! Well done Waitrose.
Aldi – A Christmas Carrot
Oh Aldi, we take our hats off to you – the ads just get better and better each year. This year, Aldi drew us all in earlier with a takeover on their social channels that introduced a new character – making fans think Kevin had been replaced! This created huge amounts of noise on social media, hooking fans with anticipation for when the full ad would be released.
When it was – everyone was delighted to see their favourite carrot had returned, for Aldi’s take on the classic story – A Christmas Carol. The ad sees ‘Ebanana Scrooge’ learn from Kevin the Carrot the true spirit of Christmas. The tagline of the ad ‘for you to be happy, you need to be kind’ was loved by social media users, as it had an overwhelmingly positive response. The ad also taps into the spirit of giving, as it highlights that Aldi are donating 1.8m meals to families in need this Christmas. We love this campaign! It taps into the spirit of Christmas, made for fantastic sharing on social media and also reinforced an important message – that it’s important to give back this Christmas period. Well done Aldi!
M&S – Percy Pig comes to life
It’s been incredible to see M&S’s Percy Pig become it’s own brand over the recent years. He has his own food range, home décor and clothing – even an Instagram account! His growing popularity was solidified even more this year when he became the star of the M&S Christmas advert. The brand cleverly used social media to create a buzz before releasing the ad by sharing a snippet that showed Percy come to life and asking fans to guess who was playing Percy Pig.
When the ad was released, it was then revealed that Tom Holland took the role – which delighted fans. The advert shows the amazing range of food on offer this Christmas at M&S and comes with the hashtag ‘#PercyPigMas’ – which has created a buzz online. A great ad from M&S that made us all feel festive and want to rush to M&S to browse their festive range!
At Prohibition, we’ve worked on a range of exciting campaigns where we’ve produced engaging and creative video content for brands across all sectors. If you’re interested in what video services we can offer and how they might help your brand – find out more here.
