Asda ad sheds (Northern) Light on Santa’s magic

Innocent tots gazing in wonder at festive decorations; plucked violin strings plucking at our heartstrings, snowmen, sleighs and small towns covered in lights and glitter – all are typical of the kind of holiday feels and hullabaloo that adland conjures at this time of year. 

Yet this whimsical spot, Let’s Make Christmas Extra Special – directed by Tom Green and produced by Stink UK with post by Electric Theatre Collective – brilliantly refreshes familiar tropes with the tale of Tilly, a little girl who recycles some of Santa’s leftover magic to great effect. 

Recalling her late grandpa’s advice that the Northern Lights are comprised of Father Christmas-power, the resourceful tot manages to capture some of said magic in a jar and begins sharing it around her lacklustre village. Thanks to outstanding production design and CGI she creates a wintry wonderland packed with miraculous transforming snowmen, gingerbread men and cats with new Christmas jumpers. 

The wider campaign includes a digital storybook, Santa’s Leftover Magic, created in support of the Fight Hunger Create Change Initiative. Over the next three months, the brand is also doubling donations from the Asda Foundation to over £1m, which will give 1500 charities across the country extra funding. 

The film was shot in the Lancashire village of Tyldsley, that was once famous for the dullness of its Christmas decorations. Asda is now helping the local community to glam up the hood by hosting a festive event in December as a thank-you to the locals.