Debenhams’ Christmas 2018 ads celebrate the art of gift giving
The campaign champions the work of the gift giver
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Your support makes all the difference.For some people, the most exciting part of Christmas is the prospect of being showered with presents, but Debenhams’ festive campaign celebrates the altruistic art of gift-giving.
The series of 20-second adverts, which were released on Wednesday, revolve around the concept of knowing you've bought the perfect present for someone.
They include a soundtrack of “Star” by Kiki Dee and a voiceover from the British actor Jenna Coleman.
The tagline of each advert is “do a bit of you know you did good” and implies that giving gifts can be just as rewarding as receiving them.
In the first, we see an enthusiastic uncle spot various dinosaur-related memorabilia in his sister’s home, which prompts him to buy his young niece a selection of dinosaur-inspired gifts, including a stuffed teddy bear and Wellington boots.
Next, we meet a couple on a date. After the man goes to get the woman a drink, she spots some photographs on his laptop which show him taking part in various outdoor activities, such as fishing and mountaineering.
This inspires her to buy him a bobble hat, a knitted jumper and a water bottle with the words “elements of survival” written on it.
Then we see two female best friends meeting for coffee. After one realises that her pal has a penchant for the colour red, she proceeds to buy her a collection of red stationary for Christmas.
Finally, it’s time for a jolly party guest to have a gift-giving epiphany. We see a young woman arrive at a festive get together, enter the bathroom and notice that it’s adorned with candles.
Being the savvy reveller she is, the guest proceeds to buy the party host a candle and some fluffy slippers.
Richard Cristofoli, Debenhams managing director of beauty and marketing, said: “Shoppers told us that the real joy of shopping comes from discovering the gift that you know the recipient is going to really love.
“We wanted to celebrate that moment.”
Ana Balarin, partner at Mother, the advertising agency behind the campaign, added: "Breaking with what has become Christmas advertising convention with this campaign, we wanted to shift the attention from the gift receiver to the person buying it, and really focus on that ‘nailed it’ moment, which every shopping fan will identify with."
The ads will make their TV debut on 9 November during Gogglebox on Channel 4. They will also appear on ITV and across other TV networks in the run up to Christmas.
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