Christmas 2020. Covid lockdowns, all shops shut, stay home, isolate… but despite the fact that we could not go shopping we were still bombarded with TV promotions in the annual competition to decide the most powerful seasonal ads, championed by several well-known department stores – a sort of commercial Advent.
Christmas 2021. Fear not if you are an advert devotee. Shops have reopened and the race is on. Over the years several contenders have adopted the ‘sad-ad’ trend, tugging at heart (and purse) strings, as we are persuaded to ‘Spend Spend Spend.
One particular tear-jerker depicted a lonely old ‘man-on-the- moon’ scene’, in which a caring little girl showed him kindness. Apparently if she buys him a gift at this store it will transform his life. (We of course will never know if he is once again sad and friendless after Christmas, waiting for more than just seasonal compassion.)
Another featured Mog, the adorable cat of children’s storybook fame. (Mog actually ‘died’ in 2002 but seems to be resurrected at Christmas, usually to save the day!). Sharing and caring is again the message, and at least some profits from this promotion went to children’s charities.
Then came the controversial take on the Nativity, in which the product, a £900 handbag was likened to baby Jesus! Many people found this shocking, as I did at first, but when I thought it through I concluded that it was actually not a bad thing if it focused people, even in part, on the real Christmas story. We are reassured at the ad’s end with, “By the way, it’s only a handbag” (not an overpriced status symbol then?). As can be imagined, this one triggered thousands of responses from the public.
However, rather than writing angry, indignant letters, many others chose to see it in a positive light, happy that at least the central figure in the Christmas story not only got a mention but prompted a significant response, so that even (or should that be, especially?) those who celebrate traditional Christian festivities can get things in perspective and actually laugh, love and enjoy life – rather than be the stuffy, miserable, grumpy old Scrooges so often portrayed.
And of course no ads needed to spur on our community spirit as we see all the care and kindness that have been shown locally throughout the pandemic. With Christmas approaching we see our food banks busier than ever responding to need: shoe boxes filled with toys for the kids, Christmas dinners being generously donated, local stores providing a delivery service, while never forgetting our army of compassionate volunteers who work tirelessly to make it all happen.
And again no ads necessary to remind us of the story where Old Ebenezer Scrooge has his very own “Bah Humbug” opinion of Christmas in Dickens’ renowned tale, A Christmas Carol.
One Christmas Eve, Scrooge is counting his money. Despising Christmas and all it represents, it takes a ghostly apparition to convince him of his miserly wealth-hoarding and cold-hearted exploitation of the poor. So vivid is the awful picture that he begs the spirit for a chance to change his ways. He immediately repents and awakens on Christmas morning to become thereafter a model of kindness and a true keeper of Christmas. Aww! Don’t we just love a happy ending?
So instead of rushing to do my Christmas shopping I’m just going to chill and watch the old seasonal movie, It’s a wonderful life, my best soprano adding to the joyful crowd as the film finishes with the well-known carol, “Hark, the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King”.
And as Dickens’ Tiny Tim has it… “Happy Christmas everyone; and God bless us one and all!”
