Welcome to Spin-Off Week

As the dust settles on Elton’s piano, this week we welcome the pastiches – a tradition in themselves gifted to us by the quick-witted brands that are keen to jump on the brand wagon. But they’re only worth doing if they’re done well and there are three that stood out amid the festive frenzy.

Waitrose & Partners Fast Forward 

A spoof of a John Lewis ad is nothing new, but this spin off from Waitrose certainly turned my head. Unlike lots of the Christmas ads, I actually saw this on telly and was immediately hooked to see who’d had the balls to run the actual ad. Of course it was Waitrose. It definitely reinforces the Partnership message and shows they’re keen to get in on the fun. 

Twitter – John Lewis

True stories always make the best stories. There’s a guy in America called John Lewis that actually spends time answering all the tweets accidentally directed at him. This beats the computer generated videos served up by another blue-based social media site hands down. A great insight for a social audience.

Pizza Hut 2018 Christmas Advert

Another digital-only response worth a mention is Pizza Hut. Unlike Waitrose or Twitter, they obviously didn’t have weeks to craft, so it looks like it was filmed for the same price as a deluxe 14” with a stuffed crust, but that’s the beauty of it. It’s true to the brand and shows some brilliantly quick thinking. And an inspired use of the fast food song. View it here.

McDonald's Reindeer Ready

Which leads us nicely to burgers. When you think Christmas you don’t automatically turn to McDonald's but this is a lovely thought – granted it’s the same as last year but this execution is extremely charming. It’s a nice touch that they re-branded the pack too, anything to ram some veg into our little darling’s chocolate-flooded tummies.

Lego This is not a brick

Leaving food behind, this is not a brick… it’s a great way of showing just what Lego does best – using your imagination. It’s sweet without being saccharine. And entertaining without trying too hard. It can be tricky to make a great global ad but this builds a good case.

TK Maxx The Neverending Stocking

Finally, another solid effort from TK Maxx. While everyone else opts for cutesy, they make their point with a neverending stocking burping and vomiting up presents. And better still, at the end you discover there are real ones to win in their stores! I love the ad but I’m not sure I fancy fighting my way through a store full of stocking-hunters. I’ll keep searching for great ads instead.

Liz Oakley is senior creative at The&Partnership