Aardman's EP on 2016's Christmas Campaigns

Why do you think Christmas ads have become such a big part of popular culture in recent years?

Christmas ads in the UK are like the Superbowl ads in the US. They are an essential part of the build up to the big day, starting the countdown and getting us in the mood for Christmas celebrations as we all look forward to a break from the routine. We know that the retailers will make a special effort to entertain us and to court us by making us feel good beyond simply ‘flogging their wares’.

What potential, if any, do you think brands and agencies have in influencing popular culture with their Christmas campaigns? It seems like it’s one of the few times that the public actually pays attention to advertising…

They certainly have the opportunity to influence popular culture but they don’t always take it. Influencing popular culture is a big ask as it often requires something truly different and amazing – which can sometimes be a risky strategy and when it’s your biggest time of the year for sales and when taking risks requires a brave client. Rather than influencing popular culture, this is maybe more of an opportunity to challenge us to remember that the ‘fantasy perfect Christmas’ is not something that is even an option for some people. Two ads from this year’s crop that do this are the Boots ad The Gift of Beauty and the Alzheimer’s Research UK Santa Forgot (below).

A lot of people have argued that Christmas ads have become predictable… do you think there’s a winning formula, and if so, what is it?

A lot of Christmas ads have become predictable as people try to replicate little pieces of family life as miniature feature films – often these end up in a world of nostalgia and lack the storytelling and depth of characters to really pack the emotional punch they’re aiming for. Many of them try to cover so many Christmas clichés that the films are pretty similar in tone. One idea could be to tell a series of smaller individual stories really well rather than going for the one big hit which is then under pressure to be all things to all people.  

Having said that one ad that does actually deliver exceptionally well on the more traditional Christmas story this year is the M&S Christmas with love from Mrs Claus (below). The story is well told and one we think we know but it has a twist that mothers everywhere will empathise with, the characters have depth which makes them believable and it has a big slice of Bond-style action thrown in for good measure.

Every year, brands invest more into their Christmas ads, how much do you think this helps the industry progress creatively?

It can do as long as the work is great – it always isn’t investment which helps us grow creatively but it can help if the additional budgets allow us to try new ideas. If the brands want to spend that money at Christmas, but are also happy to try something new, then it should be possible to progress creatively. However if they want to spend more money on even more of the same then we’re not!

Finally, give us your top three out of this year’s bunch and a sentence about why you like them…

House of Fraser: A breath of fresh air with a break from the schmaltz. Contemporary, Exciting, Attention Grabbing.

M&S (as mentioned above): Great storytelling. Beautifully directed. Captures the spirit of Christmas through the different family dynamics and reminds us this is a time for putting aside differences and doing good without the need for recognition. A good measure of ‘Bond-style’ action thrown adds excitement.

Argos – Christmas yetis! What’s not to love! Clean, fresh, standout work.