Source: “Give A Little Love” - Waitrose & John Lewis
When you’re good, you need to get to great to top your previous performance. That is certainly the case for the two spots from UK-based retailers we’ve chosen to feature in the latest installment of RetailWire’s Christmas Commercial Challenge.
First up is Hafod Hardware, a single store family business in the town of Rhayader, Wales. The store’s 2019 spot, shot by owner Tom Lewis Jones, featured his young son, Arthur, playing the role of the shopkeeper. The commercial was notable for generating millions of views on YouTube while being produced on a shoestring budget. This year’s Christmas spot, also a low budget affair, hasn’t generated the buzz of last year’s commercial but its message is certainly in keeping with the spirit of the season while speaking to the circumstances of the moment.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hTJwaD3J6o[/embed]
Spot number two is from John Lewis & Partners. The department store and Waitrose, its grocery sister chain, has already generated nearly four million views on YouTube as the retailer tries to live up to its reputation for producing the best (or darn close to it) Christmas commercial every year. This year’s spot includes both live action and animation, as did the chain’s 2019 “Excitable Edgar” commercial, which was viewed more than 10 million times on the social media site.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juv2c0xgGno[/embed]