UK Christmas Ads Should Reflect the Real World
Working in advertising is a gift (pardon the pun) and a curse. We get to play for a living, to imagine, to make, to move people, but it does come with one big catch: most of the year, nobody wants to see what we do.
When I first entered the agency world of the United Kingdom, having previously worked in Brazil, where I am from, as well as the US and Paris, I was told: “Christmas is the Super Bowl of the UK”. While the context between the two occasions might be quite different, there are some similarities: Suddenly, people lean in. They are open, emotional, and ready to be moved. For a brief window, they actually want to see our work. It is one of the few times when advertising becomes part of culture, something people talk about, share, and even look forward to.
As a creative director, I can’t help but feel like we might be losing sight of what 'The Super Bowl of the UK' really means. We have become really good at making sure people will see us, not so good at what we are going to show them. Christmas is clearly such a rare opportunity for advertisers, and yet, we seem to be stuck in a rut, with every year too many brands repeating the same tropes. The heart warming story. The snow-filled landscapes (when was the last time we had a White Christmas in the UK?), the nostalgic music track. The tenderness is there, but the bravery often is not.
Creativity and authenticity are the answers. The world is changing, and so is what Christmas means to people and how they interact with it. The cost of living, the state of the world, the ways families gather, things people do and care about, they are all different now to the 2010s, when the first UK Christmas ads really took off. These are the real briefs. This realness is a chance for real connection hiding in plain sight. If we want our work to mean something, we must look at the world’s 'universal truths' as they are, not as they were.
That does not mean removing Santa, trees, or presents. It means looking at them through a fresh lens. Finding the truth in how people really live, love, and connect today, and then showing it from an angle they have never seen before. Amazing them and giving them a reason to talk about it.
One example from this year that resonates with me is Tesco’s campaign. Tesco has taken a much-needed step back, had a really good look at Christmas, and found those truths and behaviours that people relate and want to talk about. It’s quirky and you could say sometimes slightly negative. But not everyone wants to pretend to be living a dream.
But beyond all of that, advertising is just advertising. It will not save Christmas. But for a few minutes, it might make someone’s day a little warmer, a little lighter, a little better. And as someone who loves this industry and knows how hard it can be to make great work, that small bit of magic still feels worth chasing.
