A view from Academy Member
Phil Evans, creative director, Leith
As I write, I’m sitting in a deserted office – the Christmas party’s been binned, and Omicron is fast becoming the leading variant (what happened to WPP?). As KFC so beautifully said when it FCK’d up, it’s not ideal, is it? It’s beginning to look a lot like last Christmas.
But wait, Father Thinkbox is here with his sack of festive goodies. Will they smell like a Norway Spruce or Shane MacGowan?
You can count on Boots to be fragrant. And this year’s epic looks pretty good, too. I liked the bottomless bag and Jemma Coleman as kinda Santa (red coat an all) is bang-on. Although I did wonder if she’d drugged that snowman and nicked his traveller’s cheques.
Some Scrooges have suggested John Lewis tea-leafed the idea for its annual heart warmer this year. Humbug. In paying homage to Spielberg, it’s superbly crafted, and Lola Young’s cover is out of this world.
Sticking with the theme, Lidl has gone intergalactic. I’m sure its vow to keep prices low will be welcome relief for many this year.
Up next it’s Ebenezer himself. Or rather, Ebanana. Marcus Radishford and a handcuffed Cuthbert the Caterpillar being led away by some sour grapes is everything we need this year. Nice to see Aldi donating 1.8 million meals to families in need, too – well played.
And finally, hats off to Chris Balmond, CYW, and everyone involved in Amazon Prime Video’s tale of an unlikely friendship. As unlikely as it can sometimes seem, let’s hope we all get a few laughs this Christmas, too.
Who will the Thinkbox Academy vote for? And who gets your vote? Tweet us @ThinkboxTV using #Thinkboxes and view all the previous winners at www.thinkbox.tv/thethinkboxes
The Thinkboxes shortlist - November/December 2021
1. Aldi ‘A Christmas Carrot’
Kevin the Carrot returns in this, his sixth festive outing showcasing the retailer’s high quality season festive fayre. In this Dickensian-themed animated tale, the humble-yet-plucky little carrot teaches bitter and grumpy old Ebanana Scrooge a lesson in being kindhearted with a little help from Marcus Radishford. The endline – “For you to be happy, you need to be kind” – says it all.
Agency: McCann UK Creative team: Dave Price, Clive Davis, Andy Fenton Client: Adam Zavalis Production company: Stink Directors: Todd Mueller & Kylie Matulick
2. Amazon Prime Video ‘An Unlikely Friendship’
This celebration of how true joy can come from the most unlikely friendships centres on two misfits – Carl, a grumpy zookeeper, and Hattie, a bullied hyena. In this unconventional festive tale, neither can find much reason to smile. Until the pair come together and find friendship and fun walking in the snow, dining out, stealing sausages, buying a Christmas tree – and, of course – watching Prime Video.
Agency: CYW Creative team: Carmelo Rodríguez and Willy Lomana; Lucas Siewert, Marta Horcajo, Eva Fernández; Xuan Pham (Prime Video) Client: Helen Cowley Production company: Blur Director: Chris Balmond
3. Boots: ‘Bags of Joy’
Jenna Coleman personifies the joy of giving the perfect gift with a little help from her bottomless bag (courtesy of Boots and the thousands of gifts it has for shoppers to choose from) in this ad, which celebrates the heart-warming memories that families will once again be able to make and cherish.
Agency: VMLY&R Creative team: Laurent Simon, Liam Riddler, Tom Reas Client: Pete Markey Production company: Smuggler Director: Tom Hooper
4. John Lewis & Partners ‘Unexpected Guest’
Skye, a space traveller, makes young Nathan’s Christmas when she lands in the woods beside his home and the pair become friends. As he introduces her to the season’s festive traditions – from snowballing and decorating the tree to eating mince pies (and gift-giving, of course) – the magic of Christmas is brought to life through the wonder of someone experiencing it for the very first time.
Agency: adam&eveDDB Creative team: Richard Brim, Matt Gay, Feargal Ballance Client: Emma Wood Production company: Smuggler Director: Mark Molloy
5. Lidl ‘Big on a Christmas you can ALWAYS believe in’
A family and their Christmas dinner are shown today and over a number of years into the future in this time travelling spot. “Even when we’re carving turkeys with lasers, we’ll always be Lidl on price,’ the endline promises. The idea being that while some things might change – the couple who initially fly in from Spain end up living on the moon, for example – you can bank on Lidl to be big on a Christmas you can believe in, to help keep festive traditions going on and on (and on).
Agency: Karmarama Creative team: Nik Studzinski, Luke Ramm, Joe Holt, Louisa Whitehead, Fiona Moseley Client: Clare Farrant Production company: Independent Director: Gary Freedman
The Thinkboxes, in association with Campaign, are the only bi-monthly awards that celebrate the UK’s world-beating TV ad creativity, in all its forms. They are judged by the Thinkbox Academy – advertising and marketing luminaries who have been involved in award-winning creative work for TV.
Want to see more great work? Head to the Thinkboxes hub
Thinkbox is the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, in all its forms. Its shareholders are Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media and UKTV. Thinkbox works with the marketing community with a single ambition: to help advertisers get the best out of today’s TV.
