Britain was the country that turned Christmas into an advertising showcase. But this year, a Spanish ad from Leo Burnett Madrid might just beat anything the U.K. turns out.
The holiday season in Spain unofficially kicks off with the much-anticipated annual ad for the Christmas lottery. A national tradition since 1812, the Christmas lottery is more of a group affair than other lotteries—it's traditional for people to share the winnings by buying shared tickets with colleagues, friends and family.
The new Burnett spot captures this sentiment beautifully through the story of Justino, a lonely overnight security guard at a mannequin factory. Justino passes the time by playing with the mannequins, and setting them up in poses for the factory's daytime staff to enjoy. And in the end, they repay his kindness in an unexpected way.
The three-and-a-half-minute film is like a little Pixar short—gorgeous and moving. But this year, the film is just one part of the story. You can follow Justino's nights in real time via his Instagram account @justino_vigilante.
If the theme seems familiar, that's because it's essentially the same one as last year's live-action spot. The tagline again is, "There's no bigger prize than sharing."
"They say that the key to a good story is to have a good protagonist who has a particular goal, which they fail to achieve, so that the reader or viewer roots for the main character to get their wish in the end," said Juan García Escudero, creative director of Leo Burnett.
Other 2015 Christmas ads have a higher profile—John Lewis' "Man on the Moon," for example, has more than 17 million YouTube views and almost 1 million online shares, per Unruly. But Burnett's film is its own mini masterpiece, and could well be the season's best.
CREDITS
Advertiser: The Spanish Lottery
Clients: Eva Pavo, Federico Fernández, Margarita Moreno
Product: Christmas Lottery
Campaign: "El Mayor Premio Es Compartirlo" / "The Greatest Prize Is Sharing"
Agency: Leo Burnett Iberia (Madrid)
Chief Creative Officer: Juan García-Escudero
Executive Creative Director: Jesús Lada
Digital Creative Director: Iñaki Martí
Creative Supervisors: Ignacio Soria, Arturo Benlloch
Art Directors: Javier López Canle, Sergio García
Client Service Director: Ricardo del Campo
Account Manager: Sara Cubillo
Account: Jesús Álvarez
Head of Digital: Tania Cavada
Account Executive: Sandra Arán
Tech Team: Víctor Moreno, Horacio Panella, Luis Marcano
Producers: Nico Sánchez, Esther García
Production Company: Blur – Passion Pictures
Director: Against All Odds
Executive Producer: Mario Fornies
Producer: Pablo García Acon
Site: www.fabricademaniquies.es
Media: Press, Radio, Outdoor, Cinema, Display, Social Networks