The Aussie department store has taken a leaf out of UK counterpart John Lewis’ festive playbook with a beautifully crafted, nostalgic and emotional take on Christmas.
The tail of a Gingerbread Man making his way home to Australia for Christmas is the focus of the David Jones Christmas ad this year.
The Aussie department store has taken a leaf out of UK counterpart John Lewis’ festive playbook with a beautifully crafted, nostalgic and emotional take on Christmas.
The ads were created by TBWA Sydney in partnership with design house Maud and in consultation with heavyweight UK marketer Steve Sharp, who AdNews reported was working with the department store a year ago.
Sharp led marketing for UK retailer Marks & Spencer for 10 years until 2015.
The Gingerbread Man, who is overseas in London, thinking about his family back home in Australia, undertakes an epic journey to make it back for Christmas Day via iconic shopping districts in Europe to pick up gifts for his loved ones.
The 90-second ‘Now It Feels Like Christmas’ ad will launch online on 9 November, and 60-, 30- and 15-second edits running on mainstream TV from 19 November.
The ads coincide with the launch and design of David Jones’ festive window displays.
The ad was shot by the Sweet Shop’s Mark Albiston and Colin Renshaw. Alt vfx did the animation.
The Gingerbread Man will also be central to the rest of David Jones’ festive communications,
catalogues, in-store elements, and partnerships with Fairfax and News Corp newspapers and digital sites.
David Jones CEO David Thomas says: “We’re proud to have been a destination for Australians who love Christmas for 179 years. This year’s campaign ‘Now It Feels Like Christmas’ aims to capture the role we play in an Australian Christmas, whilst also celebrating the importance of family and friends during the festive season. We hope that the campaign brings to life the excitement and joy of Christmas.”
TBWA chief creative officer Andy DiLallo says: “We wanted to give David Jones a campaign worthy of their iconic Australian brand stature. Christmas is a magical time of year, and this is a charming story that will connect with Australians of all ages.”
