Christmas adverts - yes or no?

November 15, 2016 by Ray Morgan

Christmas adverts - yes or no?

"So... have you seen it yet?" I remember the simpler days when if someone asked you that in late (LATE) November, it meant that the Coke advert with the red lorry had been on. For many, it was the signal that you could start getting festive. "Holidays are coming!" the choir would chant, and you'd get all jazzed about Christmas and have an urge to drink a glass of the fizzy stuff; Coke, you may remember it, red cans, lots of sugar, it used to be in fridges all over the world before we discovered £6 prosecco.

Now, it's the over-hyped John Lewis ads that get people talking, a little too early for most, and I'm sorry to report that they leave me cold. First, I'd like to explain how much I freakin' LOVE Christmas. You should know this about me. I've already worn Christmas socks this year, have watched diabolical TV movies on the 'True Christmas' channel and I've also spritzed M&S orange and clove room spray and it's not even mid November. However. The John Lewis ad reportedly cost MILLIONS to make. Millions! If you haven't seen it, vermin bounce on a newly-constructed child's trampoline and a dog gets jealous. I'm not sure what's festive about that, but hey, that's why I'm not in advertising. I just don't get the justification of spending that much money on a 1 minute ad. These ads have become a part of the run-up to Christmas now, and I hate feeling so Scrooge-y about them, but I do. I can't stand the x-factor-level heartstring tug attempts. I cannot BEAR the insipid covers by breathy female vocalists of frankly already shit songs.

Christmas to me is spending time off with my other half and taking a (relatively short) break from the madness of our working lives. Seeing family and creating new traditions. Cosying up with candles and books and good, very dark chocolate and tots of syrupy spirits and toasting all the lovely people who aren't here any more. Commercial holiday that it is, Christmas is also about going shopping after work, when it's dark, choosing things for friends and family who I dearly love, knowing they will feel treated and special. But I don't see a John Lewis advert and think: OMG! I forgot! I have to buy presents this year! TO THE BIG WAITROSE AT ONCE!

I wish that instead, post-Trump, post-Brexit fallout, post-Bowie dying and general all-round global horror this year there had been a 30-second message from John Lewis that was like a holding slide that just said "We've spent our Christmas ad budget on donating to Save the Children's Syria campaign, Water Aid, Macmillan nurses and stopping FGM" and I would applaud wildly because that would take balls. Big, festive, sparkly Christmas balls. I think it would be the most Christmassy thing they could do.

But hey, I'm sure #BusterTheBoxer will turn into a spin-off franchise complete with iPhone cases, nodding car toys and nail art and you can all laugh at my cynicism. I hope 2017 is a better year because if the only thing we can feel happy about is a badger on a trampoline, these are dark times indeed.

This article is by Ray Morgan.
To read all of Ray's previous blogs please click the link https://www.leigh-on-sea.com/blog/tag/ray-morgan-.html
Follow Ray on Twitter on https://twitter.com/raymorganwrites