In the battle of the 2019 Christmas adverts, one clear winner has come through.
With the likes of John Lewis, Sainsburys and Amazon vying for a place in our hearts and wallets, budgets for Christmas adverts run into millions. Last year, John Lewis was said to have spent around £8m on its ad featuring Elton John.
But the big budgets, cute CGI dragons and celebrity endorsements have fallen to the wayside this year with the launch of the latest campaign from well-known Welsh retailer … Hafod Hardware. Viewed by hundreds of thousands around the world since its launch this week and featured on major media channels including BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, Sky and the Mail, the advert has stolen the hearts of many.
Cracking the Christmas nut
And yes, I did get the name of the retailer correct. You likely haven’t heard of them, unless of course you come from Rhayader in Wales. This little family-run hardware store has cracked the Christmas nut by creating an advert that is simple, authentic and perfectly sums up the yuletide spirit. And best of all, it cost just £100 to make (and most of that was spent on the soundtrack).
The advert was created by shop owner Tom Jones (how apt coming from Wales!) and stars his two-year-old son Arthur along with cameos from four generations of the family. With the hashtag #beakidthischristmas it reminds us of the simplicity of childhood and makes a true feature of the shop it is trying to promote by encouraging us to shop local.
The message is clear, unlike many tenuous campaigns where you wonder what on earth they are advertising.
Incredible impact
You only have to look at the tweets and comments online to appreciate this advert has struck gold. Hafod Hardware has made an incredible impact compared to the massive expense and hype of annual John Lewis Christmas ad! And I guess they won’t have a shortage of shoppers stopping by this December.
So what’s my Christmas message to you, dear reader? Learn from Hafod Hardware and keep your story authentic and simple. You don’t need to spend a fortune to spread the word.
Perhaps treat yourself by using a storyteller like Editing Edge to help you tease out the message (and I can promise you we won’t have the price tag of the big creative agencies).
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a sparkly 2020.
And here’s the advert to get you in the spirit.
