David Jones Christmas commercial prompts comparisons to John Lewis advertisements
CHRISTMAS is meant to be a happy, joyous time of year. So why are the makers of Christmas TV commercials trying to make us feel so sad?
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RETAIL giant David Jones has launched its advertising campaign for Christmas 2014 with a touching two-minute commercial about a young boy’s attempt to build a chimney for Santa’s impending arrival, and his father’s efforts to make it happen.
The commercial features a cover version of the 10CC song The Things We Do For Love, sung by Tina Arena, which will raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation through iTunes sales.
The campaign is light on branding but heavy on emotions, with the originally up-tempo song rendered as a bittersweet ballad.
The narrative follows a young boy’s excitement about the Christmas season — but also his anxiety over the fact that his family home features no chimney for Santa to shimmy down.
The commercial is best watched rather than described, but ends with a shot of a “chimney” the boy’s dad has cobbled together, simply for his son’s joy.
“It’s about the things you do for love, not the things you get for love,” the commercial’s director JH Beetge explained in a video posted to YouTube.
Commentators have already noted that David Jones seems to have taken some inspiration from the melancholy tone employed by UK retail chain John Lewis in their Christmas commercials.
The John Lewis advertisements, which have earned the chain plaudits and parodies in equal measure, stick to a certain emo-heavy formula — themes of bittersweet love and longing, sad ballady versions of popular songs, and a focus on children who are well-loved, but perhaps somewhat lonely.
The classic of the genre was the company’s 2011 effort, which used The Smiths song Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want This Time to tell the story of a young boy who can’t wait for Christmas Day ... so he can give his parents a present.
Other John Lewis campaigns have featured songs as varied as Sweet Child O’ Mine (2009), Your Song (2010) and The Power of Love (2012).
Their campaign for this year, called Monty’s Christmas, features Tom Odell singing Real Love.
Again, it is better watched than described. But best have a hanky on hand, just in case.
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Originally published as David Jones Christmas commercial prompts comparisons to John Lewis advertisements
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