A Holiday Ad for a Canceled Year

The big-budget holiday ad, a longtime staple of British marketing, has slowly become a global tradition as well. But as much as I look forward to the creativity, I've found myself this year wondering if or how marketers would strike the right tone for 2020.

It's certainly a year for counting your blessings and being especially thankful for those you love. But it's also a year of pain, loss, struggle and loneliness.

Amazon is the first major brand out of the gate with a holiday spot from London-based agency Lucky Generals, and it certainly addresses the realities of 2020 head-on—without lingering too much on the negative.

In the spot, a teen ballerina preparing for her first major performance sees her hopes evaporate as the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting quarantine alter her family's lives and, inevitably, deprive her of her first opportunity in the spotlight.

Of course, the story doesn't end there. I'll let you watch the ad for yourself and find out how it all works out.

Will other brands follow suit? Almost certainly.

My hunch is we'll see most of this year's holiday ads focus on the "new normal" of 2020's life in quarantine—or brands will go in a completely different direction and drop the cinematic spot in favor of a PR-backed charitable activation.

What are your predictions? Let me know at the email below or https://twitter.com/grinerat @Griner on Twitter.

David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com

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