Sources: Allegro, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose
Which spot gets your vote as the best international Christmas commercial of 2016?
After four weeks viewing spots from Germany, Poland and the U.K., it’s time to pick a winner for this year’s global version of the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge.
As with the domestic version of the competition, weekly winners were determined by Instant Poll results along with an analysis of discussion commentary from our BrainTrust panel of industry experts, and with views expressed by other members of the site.
There were no nail biters this year — each week produced a clear winner. Now, it is time to determine the ultimate winner of the season, so be sure to vote for your favorite in the Instant Poll accompanying this article!
VOTE IN THE POLL TO THE RIGHT >
Week 1 – Marks & Spencer’s “Mrs. Claus” – YouTube
Week 2 – John Lewis’ “Buster the Boxer” – YouTube
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What do you think were the best commercials of the 2016 Christmas selling season from outside the U.S.? Which spot from the weekly winners in this year’s RetailWire Christmas Global Commercial Challenge gets your vote as the best of the bunch and why?
Poll
BrainTrust
Dave Wendland
Vice President, Strategic RelationsHamacher Resource Group
Mohamed Amer, PhD
Independent Board Member, Investor and Startup Advisor
Evaluating the four ads was indeed difficult. Each expressed a sincere warmth and a very compelling story. And none had an overly “in your face” sales message which I found especially genuine at this time of year.
I would rank the four in the following order: 1.) Allegro; 2.) John Lewis; 3.) Marks & Spencer; and 4.) Waitrose. However, I applaud the efforts of each and feel they are all outstanding examples.
Allegro wins for me because of the interest it held for me throughout the unfolding story and the heartwarming conclusion. And in its subtle storytelling manner, it will generate the most positive sales outcomes and highest awareness marks.
The spot from Allegro gets my vote. It combines the spirit of the holidays with humor and a firm tug at the heartstrings. I feel it is the best spot, foreign or domestic, that we’ve seen this year.
I really enjoyed these spots! I loved the John Lewis spot and found it very effective. Yet Allegro’s “English for Beginners” earned my top choice. The story was brilliantly told, it connected across generations and cultures, it honored family and it demonstrated how love is the ultimate foundation for happiness.
It is difficult to evaluate spots created for a foreign audience without understanding the demographic at which the spot is aimed. With that in mind, the John Lewis and Marks & Spencer’s spots were unexpected and delightful, so they get my vote for first. Marks & Spencer’s uses impressive cinematography and I love their use of red on Mrs. Claus, but bouncing animals can’t be beat.
The cinematography in the Waitrose spot was also stunning, but I found the commercial stressful (the bird almost died!). As I understand it, Europe has a higher tolerance for “lifeyness” in film, so I’m chalking this up to a cultural difference. The Allegro commercial was very charming and well-executed, but the “charming, comedic foreigner” trope has been used before. I wonder, would the spot be as popular among this American audience had the protagonist been learning Chinese?
I loved them all — but Allegro was the best.
I find them all to be great commercials except they don’t link to the sponsor. Consumers need to know who is making them feel good.
Being a traditionalist, I select Marks & Spencer as my favorite. The helpful Mrs. Claus was a nice touch. The others were a waste of time and video: John Lewis (what’s the point?), Waitrose (strictly for the birds) and Allegro (Good Grief! What forced sentimentality!).
Here are some questions: Where is a commercial about the birth of Jesus? Isn’t the Nativity the REAL meaning of Christmas? Are we so wrapped up in the commercial aspects of Christmas that we forget or neglect the reason why there even is a Christmas?