Accenture Song has blended a relatable narrative with Christmas magic to create an endearing Christmas ad for Lidl about a stuffed toy bear that went from being a little girl’s toy into a star.
The little bear finds fame in a Lidl store and becomes a jet-setting superstar – not only the face of Lidl, but also writing a memoir and recording a hit Christmas jingle. All the while, his previous owner just longs to have him back at home with her.
Claire Farrant, marketing director at Lidl, commented, “What stands Lidl Bear apart from other Christmas characters is its hilarious, deadpan expression. By displaying no emotion it manages to create humour and deliver our message about what’s actually important this Christmas.
“You also won’t be seeing Lidl Bear for sale in any of our stores – because, in the face of unrealistic Christmas expectations and pressure, we know what really matters is being with the people we care about.”
Lidl is not selling the toy. Instead, the supermarket is using the bear as inspiration for a charitable drive to help ensure that all children experience the joy of getting a toy this Christmas.
Nik Studzinski, chief creative officer at Accenture Song, added: “At its heart, this year’s Lidl Christmas campaign is a cautionary tale told through the eyes of a little girl’s teddy bear, urging us to hold on tight to the things that really matter – being with the people you love and sharing some delicious, great value food. In short, a Christmas you can really believe in.”
The campaign is supported with media planning and buying by OMD, PR by The Roman and social media by We Are Social.
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Meanwhile, Wieden + Kennedy has enlisted a real-life star, Stephen Fry, to narrate Sainsbury’s Christmas story, a tongue-in-cheek medieval fairytale about a fussy countess and Christmas pudding. English television personality, actress and currently co-host of This Morning, Alison Hammond, stars as the countess. The commercial, that features Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference premium range, has fun with debates about real Christmas pudding. It is also set to a medieval instrumental version of Wheatus’s Teenage Dirtbag.
The 60-second spot launched on November 4 on TV in the UK, with 20-second and 30-second cuts to run across TV and social. The full 85-second film will be available to watch on YouTube.
For those who, like Hammond’s countess, have also dismissed Christmas puddings without having tried it, Sainsbury’s is opening the Pud You Dare Café, where visitors can try a traditional pudding or the Taste the Difference version for free. The pop-up will be open from November 24 -25 in London.
