A shock video illustrates the rift going through society. Companies have been producing touching Christmas commercials for years, reaching millions of people. It's not entirely unselfish.
Christmas advertising as social criticism: film still from “Der Riss” by Penny
A block of flats somewhere in Germany. In the underground car park, in the elevator and even behind closed doors, people get into arguments, scream or curse each other. In the meantime, larger and larger cracks are opening up in walls, doors, floors and ceilings. Disturbing images emerge, frightening sounds. Until a little boy finally takes the first step: “Let's talk”, is the message in the commercial for Penny, a large German food discounter.
War in Europe, corona pandemic, economic worries, stressed people who are no longer able to talk, what are they looking for in a retail group's Christmas video?
Christoph Everke, creative head of the Munich agency Serviceplan Campaign
Christoph Everke, creative director of the Munich agency Serviceplan Campaign, which came up with the Penny campaign, says: “We wanted to pick up on what moves people. The crises and also the cracks that people perceive, driven by the clash of Opinions, in social media or in the family or on the street,” Everke said in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
The pioneering film: “Heimkommen”
This is how the idea for the video with the conciliatory message came about, as the advertising man explains: “We should talk to each other again instead of attacking each other.” For a few years now, Christmas films like “The Crack” have been the talk of the town. The pioneer in Germany was the Edeka group, which landed an ingenious surprise coup in 2015 with “Heimkommen”: After years of sadly celebrating alone, an old man resorts to a desperate trick to finally gather his children, who are scattered all over the world, under the Christmas tree again – he sends out his obituary. The message that those who rushed to celebrate with the supposedly deceased goes straight to the heart: “It's time to come home.” The clip has reached more than 69 million people to date – and moved many of them to tears.
Since then, Christmas campaigns have been particularly popular in Germany: “Larger companies and especially food chains are taking a stand on social trends,” says Michael Bernecker, an expert at the “German Institute for Marketing” in Cologne corporate responsibility. And by that means the voluntary contribution of the economy to sustainable development – beyond legal requirements. But Everke also admits that it is actually about long-term customer loyalty.
Companies with a message of attitude
Many companies pay a lot for this. According to Bernecker, the food discounters in Germany are the most generous advertisers of all, with annual advertising expenditure of 200 million euros. Parts of the budget flow into Christmas campaigns. According to Bernecker, a commercial like “The Crack” costs a seven-figure amount.
A pioneer in this marketing sector was the British retail group John Lewis, which had been producing touching animated films since the 1910s and thus made the genre of “Christmas Ads” popular throughout Europe. His videos, located somewhere between film art and marketing, set standards and found recognition even in the editorial offices of reputable newspapers such as the British Guardian. In the US, on the other hand, advertising campaigns have traditionally focused on the Super Bowl in February, when television audiences watch the National Football League's season finale. Then the hour has come for the US advertising industry.
At least in Christian regions of the world, Christmas – the feast of love – is also a feast for the advertising industry. Political, colourful, emotional: sometimes with funny, sometimes with touching or even rousing clips, companies are struggling for attention. But it is seldom about the products of individual brands, instead it is increasingly about contemporary or social issues. Companies position themselves. “Over time, a message of attitude has developed from a pure Christmas message,” says advertising man Everke. Penny's attitude? “We like community.”
The festival of the advertising industry
A video from the Norwegian Post went viral last year: “When Harry meets Santa” told the touching story of a man who falls in love with Santa Claus and whose feelings are not unrequited . Even more topical is this year's “Father Christmas and Mother Earth” spot, an urgent appeal to stop climate change.
Also worth seeing is “Brave Face”, the Christmas film by the British aid organization “Shelter”, which takes care of the homeless. John Lewis produced the 2022 clip The Beginner. It tells the story of a man who prepares for the arrival of his foster daughter by learning to skateboard. Online retailer Amazon does not deliver packages in this year's Christmas commercial. What a single father needs to make his daughter happy at Christmas is borrowed from the neighbor.
A smile against poverty
“Is Christmas the over-seasoned soup of emotional overwhelm at the best of times?” asks the British Guardian. “Oh dear,” the paper quickly notes, “these aren't the best of times. Due to global warming, the weather outside isn't terrible, but the shop windows are full of baubles and glitter, while Christmas will look like this year's Shelter ad to many, where a young boy bravely smiles at his mother in a desolate shelter.”
More than 18 million YouTube users have now seen the Penny video “The Crack” – directed by Seb Edwards – with strong reactions: “A blatant film, thought-provoking,” wrote one user. “You hit the ravages of time and people in the heart,” praised another. “More inspirational than any Christmas mass in the church,” said a third. But there is also criticism: “What does this clip have to do with the discounter?” A viewer wonders. “It's strange that supermarket chains are now promoting moral and ethical values,” notes another. Someone asks: “Wouldn't it be the job of our politicians to spread such a message?”