Last week, I blogged about the new John Lewis Christmas ad, #ManOnTheMoon. To say that it split opinion is certainly no understatement. Whereas I liked the rather sweet fairy tale where a small girl sends the man on the moon a telescope so that he can wave back at her on Christmas morning (and generally not feel quite so alone and isolated on Christmas Day like some elderly people do), others seem to have disliked it intensely.
Nobody more so, apparently, than Stuart Heritage who wrote a piece in The Guardian’s TV and radio blog entitled, “Who is Moon Hitler?” (“Why has the old man been sent into space? Is he a war criminal?”) Hm. So flying reindeer and old men climbing down chimneys to give presents to every single child in the space of a few hours doesn’t raise the eyebrow of reality, then? OK, whatever floats your sleigh…
But this evening will see the launch of Sainsbury’s Christmas offering on ITV, Channel 4, Five and Sky – all three and a half minutes of it compared to John Lewis’s comparatively modest two minutes. Not that it’s a competition, of course. The supermarket retailer maintains that it’s all about the message of sharing and not at all about what their competitors are doing (which isn’t even John Lewis, let’s be honest; well, unless you count Waitrose, but they do their own ads anyway).
Putting down the guns but getting out the claws
As you may well remember, Sainsbury’s came under considerable fire last year – no pun intended – because of their Second World War-inspired epic where Fritz and Tommy shook hands on a football field on Christmas Eve – after which Tommy secretly planted his bar of chocolate in Fritz’s overcoat pocket. This year, Sainsbury’s have not so much played it safe as played it clever. Because the star of this year’s Christmas ad is none other than a cute and cuddly animated cat called Mog.
Until this ad, Mog was a 2D cat created by the now 92-year-old author and illustrator Judith Kerr (who wears Ray-Ban specs; how cool a granny is SHE?!) Beloved by children since the creation of the mischievous cat in 1970, Kerr has rattled out 16 Mog stories in 32 years. Now, in 2015, Mog has gained coveted 3D status.
So, let’s see if this formula checks out
It’s Christmas. An animated cat causing havoc around the home? Hilarious accidents? Sensational CGI and special effects? Music by an Oscar-winning composer? An emotional ending that warms the heart? The theme of bringing family together for Christmas and neighbours helping each other? Clearly, what’s not to love?
Sainsbury’s offering is not so much an ad, it seems, as a mini movie for unbridled family entertainment. And yet, at the end of the ad (don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you), we’re delivered the all-important message that “Christmas is for sharing” in a touching but not overly sentimental way. Yes, ok, so it may have a touch of “It’s A Wonderful Life” about it – but considering that’s one of the best-loved Christmas movies of all time, then that wasn’t a bad shout at all by the creatives at AMV/BBDO who made the ad.
So, which charity is benefitting from this year’s ad? Very appropriately, all proceeds from the £3 book and £10 Mog toy are going towards helping child literacy via Save The Children. Kerr herself was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 2012 Birthday Honours list for her services to children's literature (and Holocaust education, being of German-Jewish descent).
Will the public warm to this local tale more than the John Lewis interstellar tale? I’ll be keeping my eye on social media to see what happens, which is surely where success is measured these days. But one thing’s for sure, “Mog’s Christmas Calamity” is anything but. As Christmas ads go, it’s a winner.
If you can’t wait until tonight to watch the ad, take a look here. After all, it’s Friday: settle back with a mug of tea and a chocolate biscuit and enjoy.
Ashley is a copywriter, blogger and editor