A snowglobe triggers a metaphor for the transformative effect that Christmas has over us. Mother London’s campaign for Marks & Spencer Clothing & Home injects sparkling optimism into a dreary year through the magic of an M&S Christmas.
The upbeat TVC features young star Skylar Blu [Britain’s Got Talent, Season 15] and was directed by Emmy-nominated Elliot Power, with choreography by Corey Baker, known for his work on the movie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The joyful 90-second fantasy is set to the uplifting song, I believe in miracles, by The Jackson Sisters.
The commercial underlines the power of children to bring joy to the world. The spot sees the world through a child’s eyes and the laws of physics appear to bend as if the whole house were in a magical snow globe. With a movement of the globe – the whole room turns upside down, as her family defy gravity dancing in unison across the walls, onto the ceiling and in the air, with snow falling and whirling around the room in a pure flight of fantasy. By the end, everyone embodies the same infectious energy as the young girl, and, with her family they are having the time of their lives. The story ends with the title, Christmas Starts Here.
Anna Braithwaite, M&S Clothing & Home marketing director, commented, “For many of our customers, Christmas is one of the biggest events in the calendar, a moment for the whole family to look forward to, to come together and create lasting memories. The festive season instils a sense of hope, wonder and joy and this year, we’re taking a playful approach by adding a little fantasy to our Christmas campaign. We have long been known to deliver the magic and sparkle of Christmas for our customers and this season, through our campaign, we’re showcasing the very best of M&S, with exceptional quality, stylish clothing and innovative, thoughtful and playful gifts – all at a great value.”
Director, Elliott Power, added,“The excitement of kids at Christmas is infectious, it reminds us what it felt like and it takes us back – this is not just a fashion film but a festive flight of fancy through a child’s eyes, a visual spectacle with a playful tone, with beautiful elevated festive fashion integrated throughout.”
Choreographer, Corey Baker, noted,“The choreography and movement leans into physical theatre – think unconventional positions in conventional spaces. We wanted to create something that feels familiar but dreamy and playful – a fantastical spectacle, that gives you that heart-warming Christmas Cheer feeling.”
The campaign creative will be executed across a range of channels between November 7 and December 15. The full 90-second advert premiered on Thursday November 7 during ITV’s This Morning. Customers will also see cut downs on VOD and SVOD as well as seeing the wider campaign across multiple platforms including cinema, dynamic digital screens across key cities and print cover wraps. The TVC will also be brought to life across M&S own channels including homepage, social, in store and via store window takeovers.
During December, customers wishing to interact with the ad, will be able to upload a photo of their own Christmas tree online or on social media and see it magically appear in their very own personalised, animated AI generated snow globe. What’s more, if they share on social media, they will be entered into a competition for their snow globe to come to life with a 3D printed real life version which will include mini versions of themselves inside, just like the ad.
With the campaign set to reach 51m customers an average of 13 times, the full 90-second advert includes the best of M&S womenswear, menswear, sleepwear, kidswear, home and gifting this festive season, with the 10-15 second edits tapping into the key Christmas mindsets – partywear, gifting and homeware.
Credits
Client: M&S
M&S Clothing, Home and Beauty Marketing Director: Anna Braithwaite
Creative & Strategy Agency: Mother
Production Company: Love Song
Director: Elliott Power
DOP: Mattias Rudh
Creative Director: Daniel Wolfe
Executive Producer & Managing Director: Shirley O’Connor
Producer: Luke Plaister
Production Manager: Marian Mikhail
Production Designer: Pablo Tregebov
Editing: Marsheen
Editor: Dominic Leung
Cutdown Editor: Ian Nabong
Edit Producer: Harriet Cawley
Post Production: Stray
VFX Shoot Supervisors: Dan Williams & Finlay Crowther
Creative Directors: Dan Williams & Carl Norton
Executive Producer Clare Melia
Producer: Bethany Phillips
Colour: ETC
Colourist: Jason Wallis
Head of Colour Production: Oliver Whitworth
Sound: King Lear Music and Sound
Sound Designer: Jack Sedgwick
Music Supervision: Curation
Music Supervisors: Sunny Kapoor & Connie Edwards
Campaign Stylist: Sam Ranger
Stylist Assistant: Giulia Bandioli
Choreography: Corey Baker Dance
Choreographer & Creative Director: Corey Baker
Casting & Talent: Troy Westwood
Casting Director: Troy Westwood
Hair & Makeup: Bianca Simone Scott & Sara Bowden
Media Agency: Mindshare
