The countdown to the festive season has begun and although it may be almost a month until the big day, household brands such as John Lewis, Very and Walkers are launching their Christmas campaigns to entice shoppers before December hits.
Retailer John Lewis has been creating Christmas ads for over a decade, broadcasting their first story-driven commercial Shadows in 2007. Proving popular with audiences, it cemented a modern festive tradition of the highly anticipated Christmas commercial. From 2013’s animated Bear and the Hare to the sentimental Man on the Moon in 2015, the retailer has set the bar for commercials with stylised storytelling.
In recent years numerous high street retailers have entered the competition too, each attempting to outdo their competitors. Supermarket Asda confessed to launching their Christmas content earlier than usual this year following reports that most shoppers complete their festive buying by the end of November. 2019’s earliest releases came from Lidl and Aldi, both launching on 1st November. Aldi’s festive mascot Kevin the Carrot returns in their latest ad, voiced by Robbie Williams with an altered rendition of “Let Me Entertain You”. The popularity of the character has soared, branching into merchandising too with festive decorations, toys and clothing drawing in furthermore profit for the Supermarket.
Last year’s biggest tear-jerker, produced by relatively unknown film-maker Philip Beastall, went viral almost instantly with his short film, Love is a Gift – it was made with just £50, proving a great story can trump budget. Beastall has since found mainstream success, directing Lewis Capaldi’s ‘Someone You Loved’. This year he has premiered his next short film: Made for you, a heartfelt tale of a long-distance relationship with both characters finally reuniting at Christmas.
At Mad Dog 2020 Casting we always look forward to working on exciting content for the Christmas period and beyond. Commercials Project Manager Niyoni enjoys the variety that casting commercials brings;
“I enjoy working on commercials because you can’t predict what is going to come through the door. It sometimes feels like spinning a roulette, not knowing what you’re going to land on. We receive varied briefs from clients which are a lot of fun. Recently I’ve even booked some Naked Santa’s!”
The impact of a cracking Christmas advert doesn’t stop when the festive season ends – they remind consumers of your brand this time of year and in the months to come. Let the battle of the best commercial for 2019 commence!
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To learn more about how Mad Dog 2020 Casting can help you with casting background, featured and walk on Artists for commercials, head to our Contact page and get in touch today.
Have you seen the latest Christmas ads yet? Check them out here: