John Lewis "The Bear & The Hare"

In direct competition with M&S is John Lewis, a department store that has been lauded for its creative and engaging Christmas ads the past few years. While this piece doesn't feature any celebrity endorsement, it still was a major investment, costing over seven million pounds to create. John Lewis' agency, adam&eveDDB is particularly note worthy in comparing the two rivals campaigns, as adam&eve was founded by ex-staff members of M&S' agency RKCYR/YR, before being purchased  by DDB. The animations in the campaign were provided by a head illustrator from Disney's The Lion King.

The ad documents the story of a hare attempting to show his hibernating bear friend the magic of Christmas, with Lily Allen providing a folksy rendition of Keanes "Somewhere Only We Know" as the soundtrack. It is John Lewis’ most integrated Christmas campaign yet, encompassing an eBook and hardback book, Christmas card maker, social media, in-store and windows, merchandise, digital outdoor projection and soundtrack single.

The campaign has benefitted from a dramatic response on social media. Compared to last year's Christmas ad which has over 3 million Youtube views to date, this year's campaign has amassed 6 million views in the first week of its release. It also boasts near 100,000 Twitter mentions during the same period. Undoubtedly, the brand will consider this venture a complete success. 

Marks and Spencer "Believe in Magic and Sparkle"

Some major brands released their Christmas 2013 advertising campaigns in the last week, so it makes sense to start taking a look at them now, however far away the holiday is. Marks and Spencer spared no expense in this television spot, showcasing stars like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Helena Bonham Carter and David Gandy. Created by an English agency, RKCY/Y&R, tv spots began airing on the 7th of November. The tagline, "Believe in Magic and Sparkle", is demonstrated throughout the ad with nostalgic nods to children's stories and fairytales.

The advert is beautifully shot and engaging, with a coherent and sweet story line. However, the biggest triumph is the way in which the stores merchandise is displayed. M&S is attempting to reach younger demographics in their clothing offering, and each piece featured in the ad is covetable and on trend. Changing potential consumers perceptions, coming into the Christmas season, will benefit M&S radically.

Volkswagen's Area View System "Nap" & "Scout"

Another look at a Brazilian Cannes Lion Print candidate today. The campaign was for  Volkswagen's Area View System, a feature in their new models they wished the public to have a greater knowledge of.  AlmapBBDO was tasked with creating the print ad for the feature.

While the ad is funny and demonstrates why the product has a valuable use, it's focus on children is incredibly savvy marketing. Volkswagen pride themselves on creating family cars, and by highlighting children in both aspects of the print campaign, the real purpose of the product is displayed. Keeping children safe. A well executed ad that deserved to be considered best practice. 

Powers "It's Ours"

Today I'd like to continue a short look at the work of Irish advertising agency Boys and Girls. This outdoor and print advertisement for Power's Whiskey won them a bronze award in the Outdoor category of this year's Kinsale Sharks International Creative Festival. Authenticity and craft were the keywords in this campaign, and intrinsic to Power's brand identity as a whole. The company wished to promote their strong sense Irish heritage and tradition.

In the ad, landscape photos of Ireland are rendered on to images of Power's whiskey in glasses. In the words of the agency themselves; "The Burren was photographed to provide the basis for the Hot Powers execution. Ladies View in Killarney was shot showcasing a changing Irish landscape. A Barley field in Louth captured a key ingredient in the Whiskey and Ballintoy Harbour in Armagh provided a memory of a great weekend." The images are beautiful, and truly reflect the brand image. I think this work is a great example of a simple creative premise executed to perfection, creating an advert that appeals to multiple generations. 

T-Mobile "Welcome Back"

For my first post, I wanted to look at my favourite ad of all time. T-Mobile's "Welcome Back", created by London agency Saatchi & Saatchi, is a prime example of exceptional brand advertising. S&S created a series of similar ads (using hidden cameras and flash mob situations in different contexts) to establish T-Mobile's motto of "Life's for Sharing".

T-Mobile UK offer a comparatively no frills service compared to other providers such as Orange, and as such it made sense for them to focus on ads that devolved a sense of well-being about the company as opposed to focusing on their phone packages. While some individuals are shown using their phones in the ad, it is mainly for either filming or calls, services T-Mobile provide. This ad, and the series as a whole, had vast penetration of the consumer base and could be considered successful viral advertising.

The ad itself was filmed in Heathrow, in the T5 arrivals area, typically where long haul flights would land. Over 35,000 people traveled through the area on the day, as 18 hidden cameras filmed their reactions to over 300 singers and a vocal orchestra. The choice of songs is sentimental and humorous.

The reason this will remain my favourite for years to come is the emotions it continues to stir no matter how many times I have seen it. Friends have confessed to crying at this ad and the thoughts it brings up of family overseas. With emigration so popular in recent years, this advertisement reminds us of the joys of homecoming.