Merry CAKE-mas (we had to)

It's the most wonderful time of the year… again, and brands around the world are gifting us some of their biggest campaigns in an effort to get us all in the festive spirit. With campaigns coming in from the likes of Boots, Argos and KFC, here is our selection of some of the best from 2019.

BARBOUR, UK: THANKS MRS C

Barbour returns to Raymond Briggs once again after 2017’s campaign with ‘The Snowman and The Snowdog’, this time opting for ’Father Christmas’, in the heart-warming animation, ‘Thanks Mrs C’. 

To revisit the book and animation, Barbour has brought back its original director Dave Unwin to reimagine the story. The animated tale follows Father Christmas through 125 years of Christmas Eve present drops. The message is simple: yes, his iconic waxed Barbour has picked up some scruffs and scrapes along the way, but it has always kept him warm and dry. “For our 125th anniversary year, we wanted to do something special for our Christmas campaign”, says Barbour’s global marketing and commercial director, Paul Wilkinson

BOOTS: BOOTIQUE BY BOOTS BY OGILVY

Boots' Christmas spot emphasises the brand's new e-commerce platform that allows shoppers to curate and share their Christmas wish lists this year. Featuring characters from every stage of life, the video highlights that there is something for everyone at Boots this Christmas, making the experience of the yearly quest for the perfect present a lot less stressful. The advert is part of Boots' wider 'Gift Like You Get Them' campaign and ties in with the launch of the Boots 'Bootique'. According to research by Boots, people want to give fewer, better gifts, and focus on the most special people in their lives, but more than a third are worried about choosing the right gift. 

Helen Normoyle, Marketing Director for Boots UK and Ireland said: 'This Christmas we want to help the nation feel good with a fun look at the very real challenge of finding that perfect gift. “People's ever-changing passions and interests can make it tough to buy for them at Christmas. We have used that challenge as a source of creative inspiration to help customers easily shop from the amazing range of gifts Boots have to offer, across our gifting, beauty, health and wellness ranges.”

ARGOS: THE BOOK OF DREAMS BY THE&PARTNERSHIP

Argos is putting its paper catalogue front-and-centre of its 2019 Christmas campaign, created by The&Partnership London and shot by award-winning director team, Traktor. Titled 'The Book of Dreams', the feel-good Christmas advert sees the ever-popular Argos catalogue – which has been a firm fixture with British families for the last 46 years – take centre stage in the retailer's festive advert for the first time in a decade.

The premise is relatively simple, following a father and daughter at home, the father notices a highlighted drum-kit in the catalogue, and as he taps the page, a fantasy scene unfolds. He starts playing the tiny drum set in his house and is then joined by his daughter on a similar set. It ends with the pair playing the drums to a rapturous crowd. Set to the sound of 80s classic Don’t You Forget About Me by Simple Minds, the film features several products including Cubby the Curious Bear (which is forecast to be one of this Christmas’ most popular toys for kids).

“This year we wanted to celebrate a festive tradition that families up and down the country all know and love.” says Dan Elton, Head of Marketing Communications at Argos. “The nostalgia of circling your dream gift in the Argos catalogue never goes away and it’s still going strong in today’s tech-obsessed world. Argos is one of the UK’s biggest online retailers but the feeling of turning the pages of the catalogue is something our customers love and sets us apart from everyone else”.

HAPPY SOCKS: NAUGHTY OR NICE

Lifestyle brand Happy Socks has enlisted Macauly Culkin for its irreverent spin on their Christmas ad. The former child star is already linked to the holidays through his role as Kevin in the Home Alone franchise films. Now the Swedish sock manufacturer put the actor in a series of silly ‘Naughty or Nice’ poses, including a few with a ribbon-wrapped iguana.

 This absurd pairing of brand and spokesperson strangely align excellently. “It’s not really the holidays unless there are socks under the tree, and Macaulay is on the TV screen. So, we put the two together creating this weird and wonderful seasonal delight,” said Viktor Tell, co-founder and creative director of Happy Socks.

 This style in marketing has become more and more of popular trend in recent years, with companies looking to promote their campaigns whilst equally pandering to the absurdity of the holiday’s inherent commercialism.

KFC: GOOD LUCK ON THE 25TH

Following last year’s Turkey vs Chicken Western-style ad, agency Mother has returned to hail the chicken during turkey’s time of year for KFC’s Christmas campaign. Instead of one ad, the campaign features a series of five animated shorts directed by animation studio Golden Wolf and produced by Stink, bringing to life the trials and tribulations of turkey cooking in overly dramatic, comic-book style – complete with sticks of dynamite and waterfall-like floods of tears

Christmas “is the only time of year where everyone has the lesser poultry front of mind,” says Mother in a statement. “However, KFC, the chicken aficionados, know that nobody really likes any of the turkey preparation or eating rituals.” 

Follow us on Instagram and comment which is your favourite!