Tesco waited to launch its new ad until the Christmas rush was over, but this one would stand out at any time. BBH’s spot is an off-the-wall take on Christmas and the strange ways in which it affects us all.
The idea is that Tesco is about helping its customers, so at this time of year the retailer is here to help us be more Christmassy – which comes easier (and earlier) to some than to others. Products have purpose here in that even a mere slice of panettone can set jingle bells ringing.
Beyond the ad, Tesco is putting free Santa’s grottos in 150 stores around the country,plus Christmas markets and a £500k investment in a “win your Christmas shop” competition. They are even putting on free Christmas cinema screenings for overstressed staff, complete with popcorn.
Emma Botton, Tesco group customer director, said: “We wanted to have some fun with Christmas and not take it too seriously. At the same time, it’s important that we don’t show up differently as a brand at this time of year, so the Tesco message about helpfulness, quality and value is the heart of it all.”
The soundtrack is the 90s hit “How Bizarre” by New Zealand group OMC and the film was directed by Brazilian duo Alaska through Iconoclast. Felipe Serradourada Guimaraes, BBH deputy ECD, said that they went with a treatment that used real costumes instead of CGI in order to bring out the “humanity” and because “Let’s be honest about it, Christmas is a weird and wonderful time.”
It’s a weird and wonderful ad and it also feels very British. A winner from Tesco.
MAA creative scale: 8.5
