Christmas Adverts Analysis

As the years go by, Christmas adverts are getting bigger and better, from adverts starting from just being a blank screen with ‘Merry Christmas’ on them, to adverts having 7 million pounds spent on them so that a man can stand on the moon. So why are these Christmas adverts getting bigger and bigger?



I found the John Lewis 2011 advert particularly enjoyable to watch because of the story it told and the twist it had at the end. It showed the little boy waiting and waiting for Christmas and then at the end when the day finally arrived, he ran past his presents to give his present to  his parents. This advert didn't show the act of receiving presents but the act of receiving them.

Christmas is the one time of the year that allows everyone in the world to celebrate together, it brings people closer, brings happiness and is a time of love. The intended audience of these adverts are families, but the audience that is attracted the most to these adverts are young children. Take the 2014 John Lewis advert for example, it tells the story of Monty the penguin, a loveable and sweet animal that will draw kids in straight away. Using animals is an easy way in to bring the children to watch these adverts because that is what they love to watch. As well as the slow and soft music they use that gives the advert can overall tone of positivity and happiness.



The Sainsburys 2014 used the topic of war in their advert. Many soldiers and members of the Navy and the army don't come home for Christmas and this is regularly forgotten, so for this advert to have been created it allowed this subject to be highlighted and emphasised to the audience.
Generic features that are used to draw the audience in are the use of the ‘family’, the little children opening there presents with massive smiles on their faces, the Christmas tree, and the lights everywhere that connote happiness and joy. All of these features replicate what Christmas should be like and are events or objects that everyday people use and do on Christmas day too, making the advert relatable and therefore draws the audience in.



This advert was my favourite of them all, the fact it was recorded on a home video camera so it is a bit shaky and grainy shows the loving nature of a family home and when their Dad walks in from being home from the war unexpectly, the thrill the audience gets from seeing their happiness and joy is unforgettable.
The Christmas adverts also have a linear narrative to them, they tell a story and the audience has to watch to the end to find out the ending, usually this story touches the heart which draws the audience in.