Christmas Is for Sale...

There are two ways to decode Christmas adverts. The first is to look at it from a creative angle and to compare originality and novelty. Each year brands take on significant creative challenges with Santa as an intermediary. Who’s going to come up with the best spot? Who’s going to be the king of the holidays? Noel is a bit like the Super Bowl in snow!

This year, my number one favourite spot is no surprise: 'Elton John Lewis'. One could criticise the film because of the millions it cost to produce. But, budget aside, it emanates an incredible emotion. The story is simple, warm, direct: Christmas is where it all started. It’s a directorial gem, but even beyond that, it’s got this soul which speaks to creatives the world over, and assures them what an exceptional career this is!

My second choice is Waitrose and its response to John Lewis. The tone is offbeat and outright humorous, very tongue-in-cheek. A bit like if Waitrose (who’s a part of the John Lewis group) wanted to break the John Lewis myth. It’s quite clever because, by going after the industry leader, it proves it’s a retail brand that’s reactive, agile and flexible. It’s also interesting to note that the same agency did both films. 

And I’d put the Orange film 'Wonderful Noel' in the top three. The film is quite original because it shows a sequence of Christmas moments gone wrong, and winds up having this jubilant quality about it. Once again, you have to dispel the myth in order to pay homage to it. By satirising such sacred moments, the brand appears more sympathetic and closer to its customers.

But even beyond the whole festival of adverts, we can pick out another level of analysis - the desire all brands have to take over this unique time of year. We can even go so far to say that brands are the ones who created Christmas as we know it today. When Coca-Cola popularised the plump, red-clad Santa in 1931 the brand imposed its own vision of Christmas on the whole world. By the same token, the whole debauchery of gifts under the tree - isn’t that indicative of the fact that since the advent of consumer society in the 1950s, all the big retail brands have taken over the 'magic' of the season?

Lastly, today, the brilliant John Lewis saga and the battle among the biggest brands for creativity demonstrates the degree to which it’s so strategically important to seize this unique moment. Christmas brings in money and to have it is a sign of richness. We’re pretty far past the story of nativity and its intimacy. Even songs by the Beatles, Elton John and others have replaced traditional Christmas carols. That being said, it’s not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, just a sign of the times!

Jean-Francois Sacco, Co-founder and CCO, Rosapark