Christmas advertising? Let me tell you a story...
Arts & Sciences director Sean Meehan on how brands are missing a trick if they don't treat audiences with intelligence and embrace not just emotion, but true storytelling.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for advertisers. The holiday season and capitalism come together in perfect alignment during these wintry months, when we’re feeling peak generosity towards our fellow human beings.
It’s also when we’re most receptive to having our emotional buttons pushed.
[The holiday season is] when we’re most receptive to having our emotional buttons pushed.
As filmmakers, the most memorable holiday campaigns we can create will reflect a shared awareness, and even humility, between brands and the people we’re trying to reach. The idea that ads can tap into very real sentiments is a welcome antidote to our collective frustration over politics and stunted progress that’s been shrouding our lives.
Credits
powered by- Agency POL/Oslo
- Production Company Arts & Sciences/London
- Director Sean Meehan
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Credits
powered by- Agency POL/Oslo
- Production Company Arts & Sciences/London
- Director Sean Meehan
- Production Service Bas Production (Slovenia)
- Editor Cut+Run/London
- Sound MassiveMusic/London
- Music Turning Studios
- Post Production Alter Ego/Paris
- Copywriter Rikke Sofie Jacobsen
- DP Sean Meehan
- Executive Producer Sam McGarry
- Executive Producer James Bland
- Head of Production Lauren Highman
- Line Producer Andrej Caruso
- Production Designer Miha Knific
- Editor Steve Gandolfi
- Managing Partner Michelle Eskin
- Executive Producer Amburr Farls
- Producer Brian Scharwath
- Final Mix Simon Kane
- Composer Elliott Wheeler
- Post Producer Andrew Tavares
- Colorist Eric Whipp
- Lead VFX Artist Joel Osis
- Color Assistant Daniel Saavedra
- Art Director Pia Emilie Lystad
- Designer Benjamin Rogers
- Motion Designer Ole Jakob Boe Skattum
Credits
powered by- Agency POL/Oslo
- Production Company Arts & Sciences/London
- Director Sean Meehan
- Production Service Bas Production (Slovenia)
- Editor Cut+Run/London
- Sound MassiveMusic/London
- Music Turning Studios
- Post Production Alter Ego/Paris
- Copywriter Rikke Sofie Jacobsen
- DP Sean Meehan
- Executive Producer Sam McGarry
- Executive Producer James Bland
- Head of Production Lauren Highman
- Line Producer Andrej Caruso
- Production Designer Miha Knific
- Editor Steve Gandolfi
- Managing Partner Michelle Eskin
- Executive Producer Amburr Farls
- Producer Brian Scharwath
- Final Mix Simon Kane
- Composer Elliott Wheeler
- Post Producer Andrew Tavares
- Colorist Eric Whipp
- Lead VFX Artist Joel Osis
- Color Assistant Daniel Saavedra
- Art Director Pia Emilie Lystad
- Designer Benjamin Rogers
- Motion Designer Ole Jakob Boe Skattum
Above: Meehan's 2022 Christmas film for Norway’s postal service, Posten took a storytelling approach.
When that vision is effective, it stokes the idea of brand affection through the warm feeling that a company shares the same values as you. This requires a shift from the tried and true 'problem/solution' formula for ads, to a storytelling approach that’s as provocative as it is affecting.
[Christmas] requires a shift from the tried and true 'problem/solution' formula, to a storytelling approach that’s as provocative as it is affecting.
I know this well after the success of my spot for Norway’s postal service, Posten [above], which invited people to better understand this company through a moving story about the heartbreaking impact of climate change (more on which later).
That trust radiates the other way, too: it’s an advertising team telling the world that they have respect for both consumer intelligence and feelings. And there is no better time to affect that change than during the holiday season, where hope and honesty can transform sentiments.
Credits
powered by- Agency adam&eveDDB/London
- Production Company Biscuit Filmworks/UK
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Unlock full credits and more with a Source + shots membership.
Credits
powered by- Agency adam&eveDDB/London
- Production Company Biscuit Filmworks/UK
- Editor Work Editorial/London
- VFX nineteentwenty
- Chief Creative Officer Richard Brim
- Creative Edward Usher
- Creative Xander Hart
- Copywriter Richard McGrann
- Creative Andy Clough
- Creative Director Matt Gay
- Creative Director Feargal Ballance
- Producer Sally Pritchett
- Chief Strategy Officer Martin Beverley
- Managing Director Rupert Reynolds-MacLean
- Executive Production Sam Chitty
- Producer Lee Groombridge
- Production Manager Davina Abrahams
- DP Daniel Landin
- Production Designer Jon Henson
- Editor Art Jones
- Producer Charlie Dalton
- VFX Producer David Keegan
- VFX Supervisor Ludo Fealy
- VFX Supervisor Rod Norman
- VFX Artist Jamie Stitson
- VFX Artist Adam McHale
- VFX Artist Yanru Yin
Credits
powered by- Agency adam&eveDDB/London
- Production Company Biscuit Filmworks/UK
- Editor Work Editorial/London
- VFX nineteentwenty
- Chief Creative Officer Richard Brim
- Creative Edward Usher
- Creative Xander Hart
- Copywriter Richard McGrann
- Creative Andy Clough
- Creative Director Matt Gay
- Creative Director Feargal Ballance
- Producer Sally Pritchett
- Chief Strategy Officer Martin Beverley
- Managing Director Rupert Reynolds-MacLean
- Executive Production Sam Chitty
- Producer Lee Groombridge
- Production Manager Davina Abrahams
- DP Daniel Landin
- Production Designer Jon Henson
- Editor Art Jones
- Producer Charlie Dalton
- VFX Producer David Keegan
- VFX Supervisor Ludo Fealy
- VFX Supervisor Rod Norman
- VFX Artist Jamie Stitson
- VFX Artist Adam McHale
- VFX Artist Yanru Yin
Above: John Lewis's festive spots have always been cinematic, often emotional and, with 2022's effort, highlighted the brand's commitment to charitable endeavours.
These days, audiences are discriminating. If they’re older, they’ve likely learned to tune-out anything too salesy and prefer more robust messaging to win their attention. If they’re younger, they’re likely turned off by clichés and expect authenticity in return for their loyalty.
For too long, however, holiday spots have been stuck in a rut. Treated as poor cousins to brand campaigns (since they run for only a small window of time), they’re typically weighed down with deals and disclaimers, and are thrown together on a tight budget. In the end, they feel exhaustingly repetitive. Viewers not only deserve better, they want better. Phoning in a holiday ad is not just bad ROI, it’s creating brand fatigue.
Phoning in a holiday ad is not just bad ROI, it’s creating brand fatigue.
The good news is that, amid the glut of these ads, campaigns that are emotional, cinematic and even conceptual are starting to rise to the top and create conversations. They are also earning acclaim through end-of-year round-ups, which are widely discussed within the industry, not unlike their Super Bowl counterparts.
This, in turn, has emboldened the most creative filmmakers, agencies and brands to think less like product-pushers and more like brand storytellers, creating evocative narratives. We are exiting corporate bubbles to actually read the cultural tea leaves around us to better connect with audiences.
To stand out and be successful, brands need to embrace this change, too.
Credits
powered by- Agency POL/Oslo
- Production Company B-Reel Films/Europe
- Director Sacarias Kiusalaas
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Credits
powered by- Agency POL/Oslo
- Production Company B-Reel Films/Europe
- Director Sacarias Kiusalaas
- Producer Anisa Dzindo
- Executive Producer Rikard Astrom
- Post Production Tint
- Colorist Oskar Larsson
- Sound Ponytail Sound
- Sound Designer/Co-Founder Calle Buddee Roos
- VFX Haymaker VFX/Sweden
- DP Tim Lorentzon
- Editor Nils Ossian Andersson
- Online Artist Evelina Astrom
- Art Director Pia Lystad
- Copywriter Rikke Sofie Jacobsen
- Designer Ole Jakob Boe Skattum
Credits
powered by- Agency POL/Oslo
- Production Company B-Reel Films/Europe
- Director Sacarias Kiusalaas
- Producer Anisa Dzindo
- Executive Producer Rikard Astrom
- Post Production Tint
- Colorist Oskar Larsson
- Sound Ponytail Sound
- Sound Designer/Co-Founder Calle Buddee Roos
- VFX Haymaker VFX/Sweden
- DP Tim Lorentzon
- Editor Nils Ossian Andersson
- Online Artist Evelina Astrom
- Art Director Pia Lystad
- Copywriter Rikke Sofie Jacobsen
- Designer Ole Jakob Boe Skattum
Above: The trio of Posten holiday commercials were message-based, acknowledging differing but important issues.
The Posten film was one part of a trilogy of much-celebrated, longer-form, message-based holiday spots that Posten ran over three Christmases, from 2020 to 2022. In each, St. Nicholas assumed many incarnations: a gay Santa [above], a Santa who not-so-accidentally reminded us of a much-embattled recent American president and, in the spot I directed, a man in a love/hate relationship.
It’s almost Scrooge-like not to acknowledge the important issues around us.
The latter finds Santa at first in a romance with Mother Nature, then at devastating odds with her. We shot the spot — an allegory for the climate crisis — to be reminiscent of domestic turmoil in an indie film. What this trio of spots have in common, in addition to being wildly successful Christmas commercials, is that they incorporated larger societal ideas into the DNA of the holidays.
The biggest change to the holiday commercial over the last few years has been change itself — cultural change. From the types of people we see on our screens to the messages pushed out into the world, we, as filmmakers, aim to tap into the zeitgeist to make holiday advertising that much more resonant and effective. It’s almost Scrooge-like not to acknowledge the important issues around us.
Credits
powered by- Agency adam&eveDDB/London
- Production Company Blink Productions
- Director Dougal Wilson
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Unlock full credits and more with a Source + shots membership.
Credits
powered by- Agency adam&eveDDB/London
- Production Company Blink Productions
- Director Dougal Wilson
- Producer Matt Craigie Atherton
- CD Ben Priest
- CD Ben Tollett
- CD Emer Stamp
- Creatives Matt Gay
- Producer Ben Link
- Editor Joe Guest
- Colorist Jean-Clement Soret
- VFX Adam Crocker
- VFX Stirling Archibald
- VFX Adam Leary
- Talent Lewis McGowan
- DP Lasse Frank
Credits
powered by- Agency adam&eveDDB/London
- Production Company Blink Productions
- Director Dougal Wilson
- Producer Matt Craigie Atherton
- CD Ben Priest
- CD Ben Tollett
- CD Emer Stamp
- Creatives Matt Gay
- Producer Ben Link
- Editor Joe Guest
- Colorist Jean-Clement Soret
- VFX Adam Crocker
- VFX Stirling Archibald
- VFX Adam Leary
- Talent Lewis McGowan
- DP Lasse Frank
Above: John Lewis has been a master of emotional storytelling at Christmas, The Long Wait cementing the brand's place as festive front-runners.
In the case of my Posten spot, we are all touched by rampant consumerism. Therefore, the 'problem' in the plug-and-play commercial formula of 'problem/solution', isn’t an actual problem (the only obstacle is technically helping a consumer find the perfect gift).
The problem, instead, becomes how to validate and liberate viewer sentiments, with the solution coming through storytelling that emanates palpable emotions. This is how brand affection is built. Audiences are no longer buying a product. They’re buying something a brand represents, something they love.
People don’t like advertising that feels like advertising.
Audience emotion is primed during the holiday season. Advertising narratives that honour audience intelligence are unexpected, intriguing and engaging — disarming the cynicism that frequently comes alongside garish displays of mass consumption.
In fact, as we move towards more complicated realities, this type of distilled storytelling ought to be used year-round, with the holidays serving as a kicking off point for new, more sincere campaigns.
Because people don’t like advertising that feels like advertising. For most, the holiday season stokes optimism, and advertisers should behave no differently.