PENNY drops a powerful message about lockdown teens

Whilst most Christmas ads so far have made reference to the Covid-shaped plight of the past two years, many have only done so as a mark of 'getting back to normal'; an optimistic coda to a devastating period.

Not so for German supermarket PENNY, whose festive spot this year not only dives head-first into the effects that lockdown life has had on people, but also makes an important point about the damage it has had on those in the most formative period of their life.

Entitled The Wish, the spot, from Serviceplan Campaign, sees a mother answer the innocuous question of “What do you really want for Christmas?” with an unexpected response; his youth back, with all of the ups and downs that go with it - sneaking out at night surreptitiously, neglecting school, celebrating wild house parties and having their heartbroken. Things that most parents, out of concern, would rather save their children from.

Magnificently constructed by Marcus Ibanez and produced by Iconoclast Germany, the ad uses clever cuts and the terrific performance of its young lead to drive the narrative forwards; hitting home the harm caused by necessary restrictions to a generation that is often overlooked.

Backed by an instrumental rendition of Bon Jovi's It’s My Life, the films surprising tone and undoubted power has already been met with a rapturous reception in Germany, with #PENNY trending on Twitter, picking up over 4.1 million views on YouTube and more than 1.4 million views on Instagram.