By Carmen Croghan for Culture on November 30th, 2016

This Year's Star-studded British Christmas Adverts

Janet McTeer stars as Mrs. Claus in this holiday spot. (Image: Marks & Spencer/RKCR/Y&R)

I think television advertising in the UK at Christmas time must be akin to our Super Bowl commercials. The viewing public waits all year to see what sort of amusing, innovative or heart-warming spectacle the marketing departments of national retailers will come I up with to wow them.

This season Lacy has already shared the adorable Heathrow teddy bears, so I thought I’d take a look around YouTube and sample the 2016 holiday offerings for myself. The upscale department store, John Lewis, introduced us to some pretty loveable woodland creatures and a jubilant trampolining dog. There are families gathered around feast-laden tables and mince pies aplenty on offer from a multitude of grocery store chains.

Being the fan girl I am, I couldn’t help but notice a rather defined trend of celebrity participation in these adverts. So I curated a list of a half dozen commercials that featured the voice and on-screen talents of some familiar British performers for your yuletide enjoyment.

Christmas with Love from Mrs. Claus – Marks and Spencer department store

A mature yet festive Mrs. Claus, portrayed by acclaimed stage and screen actress Janet McTeer, has everything under control when a remorseful little brother requests a last minute gift for his beleaguered sister. Not only does she deliver the goods, but she does it with poise and style.

 

The Greatest Gift - Sainsbury’s grocery store

This three minute plus stop motion masterpiece hones in on the very modern dilemma of being torn in too many directions. Dave, an overworked toy company executive, wishes he could just spend more time with his family. The infectious song that narrates Dave’s adventure is written by Flight of the Conchord’s Bret McKenzie and is sung by our favorite Carpool Karaoke chat show host James Corden.

 

Kevin the Carrot - Aldi’s grocery store

A vegetable of small stature braves the dangerous terrain of a massive Christmas spread for a chance to meet Father Christmas himself. And while Kevin is indeed the star of this production, I couldn’t help but recognize the distinctive voice of the narrator as that of Oscar winning actor Jim Broadbent.

 

Bring It On –Tesco grocery store

This time we find Gavin & Stacey creator and star Ruth Jones navigating the grocery aisles while bemoaning the premature onslaught of Christmas promotion. However,  as she begins to ponder all she has to do to get ready for her family celebrations, she welcomes the challenge just as her husband (Ben Miller) joins her with a box of frozen mince pies in hand.

 

Santa Forgot – Alzheimer’s Research UK

British boffin and renaissance chap, Stephen Fry narrates a touching animated story that takes a look at what would happen if Father Christmas became confused and so ill he couldn’t make children happy any longer. It emphasizes the importance of Alzheimer’s research and support for sufferers of this devastating disorder.

 

The Tale of Thomas Burberry - Burberry fashion house

And finally in an opulent production that feels more like a movie preview than a commercial, Burberry dramatizes the rise of its founder Thomas (played by Domhnall Gleeson) from a modest draper’s apprentice to entrepreneur. This short but lavish film reimagines events from the brand’s illustrious history.  Dominic West, Lily James and Sienna Miller also pop in several frames making this advert the most star-studded though it misses the mark when it comes to Christmas spirit, if you ask me.

 

Which spot succeeded at getting you most in the holiday mood? Did any of them make you want to shop their store or brand? Please share your seasonal opinions in our comments section.

By Carmen Croghan for Culture on November 30th, 2016
Carmen Croghan

Carmen Croghan often looks at the state of her British addiction and wonders how it got so out of hand.  Was it the re-runs of Monty Python on PBS, that second British Invasion in the 80’s or the royal pomp and pageantry of Charles and Diana’s wedding? Whatever the culprit, it led her to a college semester abroad in London and over 25 years of wishing she could get back to the UK again.  Until she is able, she fills the void with British telly, some of her favorites being comedies such as The Office, The IT Crowd, Gavin and Stacey, Alan Partridge, Miranda and Green Wing. Her all-time favorite series, however, is Life On Mars. A part-time reference library staffer, she spends an inordinate amount of time watching just about any British series she can track down which she then writes about for her own blog Everything I Know about the UK, I Learned from the BBC.  She is excited to be contributing to Telly Visions and endeavors to share her Anglo-zeal with its readers.

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