DISCUSSION
Dick’s and Etsy’s Christmas spots deal with COVID-19 realities in different ways
Written by George Anderson
Source: Etsy “Gift Like You Mean It: Nana”
The first contest to determine the winner of this year’s RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge featured spots intended to tug on the heart strings. Kohl’s “Give With All Your Heart” received more votes than Hobby Lobby’s “Christmas Is What You Make It” in the final tally.
One element of Hobby Lobby’s spot that may have cost it some votes was a scene in which the two primary characters came face-to-face without wearing masks. This detail stood out to some as out-of-touch considering the realities of life during the pandemic.
COVID-19 cases are on the rise in almost every state in the nation. A new single day record was set yesterday at 139,855, reports The New York Times. Hospitals in many locations have reached their ICU bed capacity, with some airlifting patients to other facilities for treatment. The number of confirmed cases has risen by 69 percent over the past 14 days and more than 240,000 Americans have lost their lives to the virus since it first came to the U.S.
The two 30-second commercials being presented for your consideration and poll vote today are quite clear in their messaging about addressing the realities associated with the pandemic.
The first animated spot from Dick’s Sporting Goods titled “Night at the Distribution Center” moves along to the tune of Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run” and focuses on delivering for customers in time for Christmas.
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Etsy’s “Nana” addresses the realities of social distancing and keeping one another safe as the pandemic rages on. The spot is intended to drive an emotional reaction that many, if not most, Americans can share at this time. It does so while emphasizing the personal nature of the gifts created by the marketplace’s artisan sellers.
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