Orange, the French telecom, delivers an epic take on parents and their children’s never-ending battle over smartphones in a Christmas ad that offers a solution perhaps amenable to both sides.

Publicis Conseil created the almost two-minute spot, which features a new take on the iconic seasonal song “Carol of the Bells,” with lyrics that see the children demanding phones and their parents resisting, worried about addiction, security and all the other headaches that phones bring.

The film, produced by BIG and directed by Réalité, reaches a product-focused conclusion at the end, as Orange introduces a device called SaferPhone, which offers more digital protections for kids and support for families.

Also read: The best holiday ads of 2024

The campaign kicks off on TV and social media on Friday, followed by cinema and print ads beginning next week. There is also an influencer component.

“Digital safety for teenagers is a key issue for parents,” said Marco Venturelli, CEO and chief creative officer of Publicis Conseil. “We wanted to create a bridge of reconciliation between them and their children around a responsible use of smartphones. We also chose a light and festive production to stay in the Christmas spirit and bring joy and smiles to this holiday season.”

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• The best ads of 2024 (so far).

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