Who put an Xbox under the tree?
It’s that time of year again, and the Christmas ads are back on our screens. Over the years we’ve seen good ones and bad ones – and this year is no exception. Companies and businesses regularly throw millions of pounds at their Christmas campaigns, but how do viewers really feel about them?
Some can inspire some quite dramatic reactions. This year, the Littlewoods take on a school nativity play has received particularly negative feedback. “I rage every time it comes on,” comments one online forum user. “They should take it off air and burn the footage.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has received over 450 complaints claiming that the ad shatters the illusion of Christmas by revealing that parents are in fact responsible for delivering presents.
On the other hand, this year’s John Lewis advert has already had over 3 million hits on YouTube, and inspired such Facebook groups as ‘The John Lewis Christmas Ad Made Me Cry’. In contrast to Littlewoods, John Lewis does not advocate products so much as it does good values and kindness. Now isn’t that more important than a new iPad?
Here are some of our past favourites to get you in the Christmas spirit:
- Woolworths – A Happy Christmas ShoppingSpree (1981)
- The Coca Cola trucks (1990) and polar bears (1997)
- Yellow Pages – Under the mistletoe (2003)
- Guinness – Even at the home of the black stuff, they dream of a white one (2006)
- Irn Bru – Flying Snowman (2006)