John Lewis Christmas Ad

It’s been the advert everyone has been talking about this Christmas season. Long awaited the ad was aired on 9^th November where it took up an entire ad break during the X-Factor on ITV, giving a sort of film-premier status. Also airing quite obviously but none-the-less cleverly, in between one of Britain’s prime time Saturday night programs. Kudos to the marketing team for that.

Personally I didn’t see it until about a week later, having read tweets and having heard friends incessantly talk about it I was expecting big things. Friends telling me they had been weeping wreck by the end of the advert, I was expecting to see something highly emotional and touching.

Before I share my views of the ad, in the improbable event that you haven’t seen it, I will outline the basics: It features a brown bear and his friend, a hare. The bear has never experienced Christmas because he spends all winter hibernating in a cave, we learn. This makes the hare sad, but he gives the sleeping bear a present in the hope he might be roused from his sleep and join in the fun all the other woodland creatures are having. Since the gift is an alarm clock, his plan works. Here is the ad itself. 

I have to say, I was a little disappointed when I finally saw the advert. Don’t get me wrong I think it’s a great advert and piece of marketing, the theme being that ultimately if you want a gift for someone you love and you want them to love it, come to John Lewis. The ad is trying to connect emotionally with the viewers by tugging at the heartstrings. Whilst enforcing the message that to give someone an amazing Christmas, you have to give them a memorable present, and for that ladies and gents you need John Lewis! The only reason I was disappointed was I didn’t find it that moving, it was a nicely thought out Christmas ad, but didn’t really give me that touching and poignant feeling that other John Lewis adverts have such as the ‘She’s always a woman” ad. Maybe that’s because of the use of real people rather than the cartoons. Or maybe it’s my absolute love for the “She’s always a woman” and that no other John Lewis advert will ever stack up in comparison! But overall I enjoyed watching it, its cute, its christmassy, thats enough for me! 

The World Back Home - Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK has released a number of hard-hitting adverts this year, such as the campaigns: ‘Cancer we’re coming to get you” and “Cancer has an enemy. Research”. You can barely go a month without a new advert popping up on our TV screens, informing us about the war on cancer, and providing inspiring messages about the positive progression of research into the cure. 

The charity’s latest advertising campaign, “The world back home”, released today as a viral ad focuses on the relationship between smoking and cancer, and the need for standardized packaging. The controversial video sheds light on the advertisement of cigarettes to children around the world, and how tobacco companies target them as an audience.

The ad shows young children of different ethnicities smoking cigarettes, before panning out to reveal that the children are in Britain. Enforcing the message that children not only around the world but also in Britain are influenced by the tobacco industry. The only thing left to change in Britain is the packaging of cigarettes to leave them unbranded, unappealing and looking something like this:

I like the simple formatting of the ad, this is a no fuss, no frills piece of propaganda. Simple, to the point and creates an inescapable impression on the viewer. The lack of music creates an understated somber atmosphere to accompany the shocking facts being sensitively voiced over the ad. The sheer visual impact of children smoking is enough to make one stop and think. Within the first 5 seconds the ad grabs the attention and provides a controversial image of a young girl smoking, leaving you wanting to know more. 

The issue of the advertisement of tobacco company products to children is one that needs a whole post of its own, so for now I will leave you with this poignant example of why it undoubtedly should be banned.