John Lewis may have won Christmas with its penguin ad, but Mother London's holiday spot for British pharmacy chain Boots is an impressive stocking stuffer in its own right.
Director Noam Murro's low-key, naturalistic approach really scores as we follow some folks who wake up very early on the day after Christmas and make preparations for a special celebration of their own. The muted documentary style lets the tale shine without reams of tinsel or the glare of too many holiday lights.
"This Christmas, we want to inspire our customers to celebrate the special people in their lives," says Andy Ferguson, director of marketing at Boots, "not just by giving the perfect gift from Boots, but by sharing the reasons they matter for the whole nation to see."
Boots invites viewers to share stories of those they love using the #SpecialBecause hashtag, and there are campaign elements prepped for digital, direct and outdoor media. The centerpiece 60-second spot, produced by Biscuit Filmworks, is already running online, and breaks Sunday on ITV's telecast of Downton Abbey.
Sure, there's some sentimentality—this is a British holiday ad, after all. Still, it's mainly a realistic people story that expands on themes from Boots' 2013 Christmas outing. In a way, this new spot recalls A Charlie Brown Christmas—without the religious message—by transcending commercialism to reveal the deeper meaning of the season.
CREDITS
Client: Boots
Agency: Mother, London
Producer: Emily Marr
Creative Director: Chaka Sobhani
Creative: Richard Tahmasebi & Pilar Santos
Sound Design: Anthony Moore
Audio Postproduction: Factory Studios
Editor: Neil Smith
Editint Company: Work Post
Postproduction House: MPC
Production Manager: Kate Taylor
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Producer: Charlotte Woodhead
Managing Director: Shawn Lacy
Executive Producer: Orlando Wood
Director: Noam Murro