Give us an overview of the campaign, what is it about and what was your role in the creation?
The message of the commercial is that no one should be alone at Christmas. The campaign goes beyond just generating awareness: Migros, Switzerland’s biggest retailer, is collecting donations for various charities that help with loneliness during the holiday season.Our role was to create and execute the whole Christmas campaign for Migros and come up with a concept that would work for both their charity actions but also for their products and offers.
Was the brief for this holiday campaign any different that the usual? What challenges did that present?
The brief was the same, and that’s exactly what posed a challenge for us. This year’s Christmas commercial is a sequel of last year’s one (campaign 2017). Finn, the supermarket scanner gnome was wildly popular in Switzerland and even abroad so the stakes were high to come up with something that would continue Finn’s story and at the same time be surprising enough to meet the expectations.
What inspired you to approach the campaign this way?
We wanted the idea and storytelling to be as good as last year’s but we wanted to get much better on the execution. We’re really happy with the results.
What’s a «behind the scenes» story that only you know about?
One of the gnomes got arrested for public disturbances and had to be bailed out in order to finish the shoot. Hint: it was the mother.
Are there any holiday ad tropes that you think should be retired by now?
Not as long as it’s true and interpreted in a new way.
What is your favorite holiday campaign of all time?
«Sorry, I Spent It On Myself.» from Harvey Nichols.
What can we expect from your agency in 2019?
Hopefully the best year we’ve ever had.
What do you think the advertising industry's New Year’s resolution should be?
Being more honest with ourselves about what we do. Ask ourselves: is it really something I’d enjoy experiencing or has some value for me?