Spar
There's no doubt about it, Spar stores are very handy. In fact, where I live, they're the only shop open on Christmas Day. And here they come pitching their Easter offering, which interestingly seems to largely consist of booze. Not a chocolate egg in sight. Still, if you intend to spend the long weekend out of your tiny mind from the glugging of cheap plonk, Spar have made it absolutely clear they're ready to meet your needs. Hic!
DFS
The received wisdom is that DIY is dying, but I wouldn't know. I am so utterly useless at DIY projects that I am forbidden from undertaking them anywhere in my household. However, that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying this spot. Wonderfully bouncy soundtrack, a nice theme reflecting the world 'waking up' as Spring arrives, and some snappy graphics showing the house and its accessories blooming in the morning sun. Excellent work; just don't let me anywhere near a brush or screwdriver.
Warwick Castle
Part of an agency's job is to restrain the client from trying to say too much in one ad. In this instance, I think the client won. I'm sure Warwick Castle is a wonderful place to visit, particularly on a sunny Spring day, but this is such a jumble it's hard to know. One second we're looking at four-poster beds (can you really have a sleep-over at the castle?), then it's archery, and before we know it there's Horrible Histories cartoons involved. This really would have been so much more effective if each activity had been spread across a string of clips.
Wynsors World Of Shoes
It's noticeable how a northern dialect in a voice-over is now shorthand for 'discount' and 'value'. And so it is with this clip for Wynsors. To be fair, the shoes do appear to be very reasonable, and there's some smashing, lively animation on show too. Sure, flowers and bunnies are a bit of an Easter cliche, but like Christmas, we like our cliches when it's a festive season. With the prices front and centre, I'd imagine this work will perform very well.
Sainsbury's
The supermarket wars continue, and on a bank holiday things really heat up. I do like Sainsbury's idea of showing every day of the break, and offering something tempting for each. But I'm struggling to find a unique selling point here. Every item, from the leg of lamb to the chocolate, can be bought at any supermarket. And while it all looks delicious, there's no price and nothing exclusive. Very heartwarming I'm sure, but I need a reason to favour one outlet over another - and that's notably absent.
Happy Easter, Creativepoolers.
Magnus Shaw is a blogger and copywriter
