Rudolph at his nadir in Posten’s insane (and insanely enjoyable) Christmas ad.
Earnest holiday advertising isn’t going away—it’s the bread and butter of the season. But there’s something to be said for a more tongue-in-cheek approach.
The three holiday campaigns (yes, they keep on coming) among this week’s top 5 included one earnest historical drama and two irresistible comedies, all of which brought the goods. Outside of holiday work, Wieden+Kennedy had a strong week with the other two campaigns on the list—both visually impressive.
Check out the full top 5 below.
Amazon followed up its heartwarming singing-janitor spot with something goofier for the holidays: Adam Driver employing his thespian talents for dramatic readings of 5-star Amazon reviews. Directed by Jonathan Krisel, the spots include a few famous reviews (e.g., the banana slicer), and Driver does them all justice with his deadpan delivery. Amazon always mixes tones nicely at this time of year, and this one-two punch didn’t disappoint.
You have a head start in promoting something like the Museum of Modern Art, given the world-class visuals in its collection. But those visuals need constant reframing to stay fresh—something W+K does nicely across out-of-home and social in this campaign. From the giant Monet “Water Lilies” mural (below) to Instagram videos including one with a “GRWM” theme, the work makes old masterpieces feel relevant to the present day. There’s an aptly iconic feel to the work, too, which is right on brand for the client.
The cinematic scope of this spot from Jung von Matt Donau is impressive, as it travels back to 1818 to tell the origin story of the carol “Silent Night” for this bank client. The three-minute piece, directed by the Arts & Sciences duo of Daniel & Szymon, shows how Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber created something beautiful—a song that’s since become the most recorded in history—out of the bleakest of circumstances in Austria following the Napoleonic Wars. The “Believe in Yourself” message at the end is almost superfluous—this message of faith needs little copy to back it up.
Retirement ads aren’t easy—capturing a whole career in a single image or video is daunting. But Nike does it better than anyone, as we were reminded yet again this week with its Rafael Nadal tribute. Nike founder Phil Knight voiced the farewell video himself, and the still image below was simply mesmerizing—the King of Clay resplendent in a haze of red. A fitting tribute to a tennis legend from W+K London.
Just when you thought all the holiday stories had been told, here comes the Norwegian Postal Service with an absolute cracker of an idea—what if Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s fame went to his head?—that’s executed flawlessly. Everything is perfect here—the fake celeb documentary format; the imagined corporate structure of Santa’s reindeer; the antlers and the red nose on the human actors; Rudolph’s slow and exquisitely shameful burnout; the variety of scenes shot in different faux vintage styles. Plus, crucially, it all ties into Posten’s message perfectly at the end. Dark comedies at Christmas, when done well, are a great counterpoint to the more traditional fare. This one’s nothing short of an instant classic.
