As years rolled on, I started to feel that getting into the Christmas spirit was becoming more and more difficult. For some reason, decorating my house for Christmas or waking up on Christmas morning stopped feeling as magical as they used to be. The most logical explanation that I could come up with is the fact that I probably got tired of waiting for my ideal white Christmas which is portrayed so beautifully in Christmas cards.
However, moving on from this pessimistic view of “the most wonderful time of the year”, one thing that has always managed to get me excited for Christmas is watching all those heart-warming Christmas adverts.
Therefore, I decided to compile a short list of the adverts which fascinated me in recent years.
First, going back to 2013, WestJet, a Canadian airline company rewarded 250 passengers with an unexpected Christmas "miracle’. The narrator’s voice, which opens the video, is so engaging that it gives you the feeling that spending the next five minutes of your life watching this commercial will be totally worth it.
What makes this slot striking is the fact that there is no acting involved. Just an enormous amount of planning, teamwork and dedication. Thus, we get to witness the passengers’ euphoric reactions as they are handed the gift of their dreams on arriving at their destination. It is so fascinating watching WestJet’s employees rushing around shops like crazy bargain enthusiasts, solely with the goal of putting a smile on someone’s face. Truly an unselfish move. In addition, this initiative perfectly explains the reasoning why giving gifts is much more rewarding than receiving them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIEIvi2MuEk
Secondly, Christmas 2014 brought with it an extremely emotional TV advert by Sainsbury’s which made our jaws drop with its ingenuity. The re-enactment of the truce between British and German soldiers during World War I reminded viewers of those who gave up their lives serving their country. What shocks me most is the realisation that there is no such thing as “enemies”.
And what about all the emotions involved? They are profoundly real — Jim’s determination to make peace, the soldiers’ incredulity and their absolute joy at the reconciliation. It is only the shrieking sound of the bombs, at the end, that forces us back to the sad reality.
The commercial points to one major question: What was the point of the truce, if, after all, they went back to killing each other?
Finally, as if the advert was not already intense enough, the discovery of the chocolate bar in Otto’s coat rekindles a warm feeling as it reminds us that hatred can be won over by love.
The slot unwrapped the ingenuity behind Sainsbury’s thinking which ultimately was to sell more chocolates and other food items during Christmas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM
Thirdly, I could not end this piece without including what is the most popular Christmas 2015 commercial I have seen so far , by the German company Edeka. As simple as its message may sound — “Time to come home” — this advert appealed to people because of the human interest it portrays.
Watching an old man eating alone on Christmas day pulls at heart strings. Hearts skip when his children get to know of his death. However, we later learn that this sad news is not real. The old man had played a trick on his children fooling them that he had passed away.
These busy children regularly coming up with excuses not to visit their dad on this festive day got their chance to see their father again but we will not always be so lucky.
The slot urges us to stop for a moment and reflect on how we unconsciously allowed our fast routines to take over our life. So, this Christmas spare some time to visit not only your closest relatives but also those who will be spending the holidays on their own. Remember that what you consider a little thing might mean the world for others.
