Hunterlodge on Philosophy-Filled Ads This Xmas

This year I’ve been handed the itchy beard and ill-fitting (or in my case snug) red suit, to review the best of the Christmas ads - so off we go. 

First stop is House of Fraser (above). Ready or not, here I come we’re told as our choreographed dance crew prances their way through some Christmas vignettes. I like the Clooney-style Santa, the shot of a stiletto coming down the chimney and the type treatment - but it’s pretty mediocre stuff. 

Next up and bounding down the garden is John Lewis’ trampolining dog. He’s neatly sidestepped that Santa is a fraud and it’s dad that’s delivered the pressie. And while he’s been beaten to first go by some beautiful but charmless CGI wildlife, he still gets to bounce. I don’t know why I don’t love it as much as previous years. Maybe it’s the casting of the dog. Would a beautiful Lassie style sheep dog have been better than a slobbery boxer? Maybe it’s because John Lewis has already plucked my heartstrings like a jazz man slapping a double bass and it’s getting harder each year. 

Aldi’s carroty Indiana Jones made me smile. As he makes his way to Santa’s snack plate, he charms us with his grufalo/stickman style as well as his determination. His journey takes him along a dinner table that’s burgeoning with Aldi’s product range. He gets past the turkey platter that features some of his roasted friends, a vicious looking grater and a flaming pud. But he can’t get past the question, why is the piping hot Christmas dinner on the table on Christmas Eve? 

I want to like the Tesco couple and maybe this ad’s the one to do it. Ruth Jones and Ben Miller are both wonderful performers so why hasn’t the campaign caught fire yet? My guess is that there are funnier scripts in the BBH bottom drawer that the client is nervous about. The first ad sees Ruth in store when the Christmas music begins playing. We hear her internal voice stressing about all the things she’s got to do. By the end of the ad, she’s talked herself into a positive frame of mind and says ‘bring it on’ to Ben’s question, ‘is it too early for mince pies’? 

Next up is James Corden singing for Sainsbury’s. Fresh from his Carpool Karaoke he puts his voice to a skinny, bespectacled everyman who sings as he battles his way through the familiar pre-Crimbo trials and tribulations. Just like Aldi’s orange Indiana, the animation is beautifully crafted and the scene where a single snowflake on the track stops a packed commuter train made me laugh out loud. There is a three minute director’s cut on YouTube that’s a little work of art. But I expected that, as I expected Corden to deliver – which he does.

What I didn’t expect was a Christmas supermarket endline that was profound. “The greatest gift I can give this year is me” borders on philosophy. It’s an acknowledgement that our time is more precious than gifts and fancy nosh. I notice they have dropped it on the subsequent, product filled ads for the line Christmas is for sharing, which is equally true but much less brave. 

Talking of brave, Waitrose’s plucky little Robin travels hundreds of miles for a mince pie. It’s a tale that’s gorgeous to look at but cynically, I can’t help wondering if The John Lewis Partnership got a special deal on CGI animals this year. 

Argos has a different take on animals with not one, but five Day-Glo Yetis who speed skate through a snowy townscape picking up and dropping off gifts without stopping. Thankfully they’re not even trying to make me feel emotional and I’m glad. Instead, the Yetis stay on track with the Argos promise of speed; order online today and they’ll deliver today.

Finally M&S wades into the battle with a mission impossible style blockbuster. It’s a twist on the story of Father Christmas’s big night, with Mrs Claus in a red helicopter saving the day for a little lad who’s ruined his big sister’s trainers. Its non-stop action with the odd decent gag chucked in for those who can keep up. “Don’t forget Australia” Mrs Claus tells her hubby as he leaves, “That’s easily done” he replies in a sly dig at our Aussie cousins. For all its ambitious production values, it suffers from the need to reinvent the same story. 

We all have our favourites in this year’s battle for Christmas goosebumps and for me, Sainsbury’s is the winner by a short head from Aldi.